
How to Save Money in College
You don’t have to eat ramen every single night in order to save money and ditch the debt when you’re in college. Here are some other ways to stack that cash!

Hey y’all, I’m Kristina. I love spending time with my family, seeing people become debt-free, and giving the student loan industry a run for its money! I believe that no student should graduate with the burden of loans, and I know firsthand that it’s possible. Drawing from the strategies I used to win over $500K in college scholarships when I was in high school, I’ve made it my mission to help families navigate college—and the rest of their lives—without debt. I’m so glad you’re here!
Hey y’all, I’m Kristina. I love spending time with my family, seeing people become debt-free, and giving the student loan industry a run for its money! I believe that no student should graduate with the burden of loans, and I know firsthand that it’s possible. Drawing from the strategies I used to win over $500K in college scholarships when I was in high school, I’ve made it my mission to help families navigate college—and the rest of their lives—without debt. I’m so glad you’re here!
Hey y’all, I’m Kristina. I love spending time with my family, seeing people become debt-free, and giving the student loan industry a run for its money! I believe that no student should graduate with the burden of loans, and I know firsthand that it’s possible. Drawing from the strategies I used to win over $500K in college scholarships when I was in high school, I’ve made it my mission to help families navigate college—and the rest of their lives—without debt. I’m so glad you’re here!
Hey y’all, I’m Kristina. I love spending time with my family, seeing people become debt-free, and giving the student loan industry a run for its money! I believe that no student should graduate with the burden of loans, and I know firsthand that it’s possible. Drawing from the strategies I used to win over $500K in college scholarships when I was in high school, I’ve made it my mission to help families navigate college—and the rest of their lives—without debt. I’m so glad you’re here!
We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up. My dad passed away from cancer when I was 7, so my mom was a single parent doing everything she could to provide for our family. When my freshman year of high school rolled around, she sat me down and said, “Kristina, I love you, and I believe in you, but there is no way I can support you financially after you graduate from high school. You need to start thinking about college and how you’re going to pay for it.”
I was overwhelmed. I didn’t have perfect grades, and I wasn’t a star athlete, so how was that supposed to happen? But she had so much faith in me that the more we talked about it, I somehow started to believe in myself. She said, “I know you’re not meant to struggle your entire life, and if you work hard enough now, you can go on and achieve the life of your dreams.”
So, I read like crazy, strategized, took on new activities to add to my resumé, and treated scholarship applications like a part-time job. Thankfully, that commitment paid off. I ended up winning $500,000 in scholarships, graduating from Vanderbilt University with two bachelor's degrees in business and education, and then getting my master's degree in education from Belmont University—all 100% debt-free. I went on to write (and tour the country with) two books that have helped over 100,000 young people pay for college. Oh, and a huge blessing happened along the way: I met and married a handsome police officer, and now we have two beautiful children!
Over the past few years, I’ve gotten to interview scholarship administrators, financial aid officers and National Scholars who, like me, had huge success using little-known strategies that set them apart from the crowd. All of this became part of my mission to show students how to steer clear of predatory lenders and pay for college without loans (because no one needs that burden in their life—especially not college kids who have their whole lives ahead of them).
Then I got the chance to share my story and help expose the toxic student loan industry in Ramsey Solutions’ award-winning documentary, Borrowed Future. I was beyond thrilled when they asked me to join their team, and now I get to co-host The Ramsey Show and help families learn how to approach college and other money issues the debt-free way through articles, live events, podcasts and online courses. One of the best parts? I get to work with Ramsey Education, helping out with their courses that give young people the tools they need to understand and win with money.
I’ve experienced firsthand that no matter where you came from or what obstacles you’ve faced, you can hit every single one of your goals with hard work and the right plan. And I’m here to help walk you through that plan, whether it’s helping your kids pay for college, helping you get out of student loan debt, or simply helping you get your finances on track so you don’t have to be stressed about money anymore. Let’s do it—I believe in you!
You don’t have to eat ramen every single night in order to save money and ditch the debt when you’re in college. Here are some other ways to stack that cash!
College visits can be overwhelming—but don’t stress! Here’s a step-by-step plan for what to do before, during and after each visit.
You don’t have to eat ramen every single night in order to save money and ditch the debt when you’re in college. Here are some other ways to stack that cash!
You don't have to pay for college with student loans. With a little effort and hard work, graduating without student loan debt is possible!
College visits can be overwhelming—but don’t stress! Here’s a step-by-step plan for what to do before, during and after each visit.
Not sure what to do about your student loans?
Find out your next steps with this quick quiz.
Contact us for media inquiries.