Paid Off: TV show offers to pay off student debt

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44788351

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In the world of TV game shows, people have had their lives changed by winning expensive cars or houses. In 2018 America, a new programme is offering a slightly different - but perhaps as coveted - prize.

Your student debt paid off.

"It's a comedic trivia show that's an absurd answer to an absurd problem," said actor Michael Torpey, presenter of Paid Off, which premiered this week on the entertainment channel TruTV.

The programme sees three contestants, usually in their late 20s and early 30s, answering basic general knowledge questions. As they advance, they get closer to having their loans - some above $40,000 (£30,000) - fully covered.

The idea for the project, Torpey said, came when he met his wife. She had some $40,000 in loans for degrees and was doing "all sorts of odd jobs" to earn money. At the same time, she was also working towards getting her licence as a mental health counsellor.

"I didn't appreciate what it was to have this burden impact you all day, every day, keeping you from picturing your life moving forward - the ability to have kids, a home, go on vacations, down to the small stuff of having a second cup of coffee."

So when debt-free Torpey - known for his role in the Netflix drama Orange Is The New Black - booked his first commercial campaign, he knew exactly where the money would go.

"We wrote the cheque, put it in the envelope, and my wife just started crying."

The programme, which will air 15 other pre-recorded episodes, says nearly $500,000 in student debt has been wiped out.

The producers tried to pay it directly to the debt-holders, the Washington Post reports, but because of logistics and tax implications, the winners are getting a cheque instead.

For now, it is broadcast only in the US.

How does it affect you?

The competition may be funny but the issue is anything but:

As part of the BBC's Ask America series, we have asked our readers if President Donald Trump was right to say "there's never been a better time to be young and American."

Many have responded negatively, citing student debt as one of the main obstacles (some of the answers have been edited for clarity).

Some, however, were not so pessimistic.

Join the conversation

Has student debt affected your life? What are the other issues that matter to you and your community?

Send us your comments or questions to AskAmerica@bbc.co.uk and we will respond to what you tell us, as part of our Ask America series.

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