New Game Show Helps Contestants with Student Loans

A new game show in the United States called Paid Off helps contestants settle their student loans. Developed and hosted by actor and writer Michael Torpey, the game show began airing last July. According to Torpey, experiencing the hardship brought about by student debt with his wife motivated him to create the game show. Paid Off aims not only to help its contestants pay their loans but also to highlight America’s student debt crisis. The total amount of student debt in the country is estimated at $1.4 trillion. Each episode of the show involves three contestants who introduce themselves by stating their name, the school where they studied, and the amount of their student debt. In several rounds, the contestants compete by answering trivia-type questions. In each round, the worst-performing participant is eliminated until only one is left. The last contestant must answer eight questions within a minute during the final round. The number of correct answers will determine the amount to be earned by the final contestant. The game mechanics entitle all participants to earn money. Even contestants who did not reach the last round still get a chance to lessen their debt because they earn money for every correct answer. The show was developed with the input of the Student Debt Crisis (SDC), a nonprofit organization that advocates affordable higher education. Torpey consulted with the SDC so that Paid Off can be entertaining without making light of student loans. Last July, the organization published a message from Torpey, urging people to acknowledge that education is a right and to find ways to make college education within everyone’s reach.