How a College Student Scrimped & Saved to Pay Off His Grandparents' Mortgage

You may have heard a story or two of grandparents helping their grandkids and other relatives pay for college due to the burgeoning cost of higher education. And, in fact, data suggests some retirees are taking on student loan debt to help their family’s later generations go to school. But one Houston-based man appears to have reversed the trend by paying off his grandparents’ mortgage — while going to college.

Stefun Darts surprised his grandparents, Cecil and Marilyn Roberts, with a $15,000 check earlier this month to pay off the remaining balance on their home, according to KHOU.

Darts is not only a full-time student, he also works full time and runs two nonprofits, the local TV station said. He was reportedly able to provide the gift by skipping parties and saving all his pennies.

“I’ve been eating pizza, microwave pizza for all my life,” Darts told KHOU. “My friends will tell you I never did go out. They didn’t know, but this was the reason why.”

According to the news report, the Roberts had been paying their mortgage for about two decades. They were about four years out from their last payment at the time of their grandson’s gift — which included a trip to the Bahamas, KHOU said.

Darts told the station he was fulfilling a promise he made to pay off his grandparents’ mortgage back in the second grade. You can see video of the event below.

Paying off a mortgage can be no small feat, no matter what your age. You can help ensure you’re able to do so by buying a house within your budget, saving so you can put down a sizable down payment and maintaining your credit by making your mortgage and other payments on time. Remember, a good credit score will help you qualify for the most affordable interest rates. You can see where your credit currently stands by viewing your two free credit scores, updated each week, on Credit.com.

If you’re looking to buy a home and your score could use some improvement, you can generally fix your credit by disputing errors on your credit report, identifying your credit score killers and establishing a game plan to address those issues. You can maintain good credit by making all your payments on time, keeping your debt levels low and adding a mix of credit lines organically over time.