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(Describer) In computer animation, different news scenes in rectangles move fast around a turning globe.

(Describer) In front of a blue background with a triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News. A girl sits at a desk with monitors behind her.

Hi, you're watching "Teen Kids News." I'm Lylah. Let's begin with our top story.

(Describer) The Teen Kids News logo is on curved screens that form a turning cylinder. Passing around it, title: Top Story.

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There's an old saying that what goes up must come down. But as Ava reports, when it comes to the cost of college that just doesn't seem to ring true.

(Ava) Whether private or public, four year or two year, the cost of tuition, room and board, along with other essentials like books defies gravity. No question, the price tag of higher education just keeps getting higher. And that means more and more of us, hoping to go to college are going to need some sort of financial aid. I think the money I've been given throughout my whole life worth saving it all for college in like a bank account. I think I may ask my parents to help me and then throughout college be able to like pay them back. Another way I would probably pay for college is like through loans, like student loans from the bank and stuff. So... If you're depending on taking out a loan, you're not alone. According to the website Student Loan Hero, more than two-thirds of all students, 69% take out college loans. The federal government reports that most students who borrow money for college graduate owing between 25,000 and $50,000. It's no surprise that how much you owe pretty much depends on the type of college you attend. For example, let's use the case of owing $40,000. At public four year colleges, only about 12% graduate owing $40,000. That number increases a bit for those attending private colleges. 20% of those who graduate owe 40 K. But when it comes to what's called for-profit schools, the numbers really go through the roof. Nearly half of all students attending these for-profit schools, end up owing $40,000, and owing that much can have a huge effect on your future. So much so, some families are even asking is college worth the cost. That's why it's so important to understand the advantages and downsides of student loans. And that's exactly what we'll talk about when "Teen Kids News" returns. We'll be right back.

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(Describer) Spinning with the triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News. Ava:

Let's face it. College costs money, lots of money. And few of us can't pay for college without getting some help. That's why so many students take out loans. Unfortunately, a lot of students and even their parents aren't fully aware of the real costs of some of these loans. To help us with that is Steven Roberts. He writes about financial matters like student loans. You often warn against taking out loans for college. One reason you give is that they are too easy to get

(Describer) Roberts:

That's right. The student is often asked how much would you like to borrow as opposed to based on your major, how much can you afford? And that's a big difference. What I recommend people do is look at the starting salary for their particular field and major and make your payments be 8% of that amount. Let's stop here for a moment and I'll do some math for our audience. Say your starting salary is 50,000 a year which is average for today's college grads. Using the 8% rule, you should not pay more than $333 per month on a loan. Remember there are two additional factors to keep in mind. First, there is the interest rate. That's the fee the lender charges for loaning you the money. Second is the length of the loan. Most student loans are for 10 years. Now, this might sound a bit complicated but stay with me. Going back to that $50,000 starting salary, remember you want to keep your loan payment to no more than 8%. So that would be a $333 per month. Let's say the interest rate is 4.66% and you have a 10-year loan. The most you should borrow is $31,900 because that'll give you a monthly payment of $333 which is equal to 8% of your $50,000 starting salary, $333 per month. Don't worry if you didn't follow the math, there are free student loan calculators available online that'll help you. You just need to keep in mind, don't borrow more than you can afford to pay back for your undergraduate education. Steven, many think it's worth taking out big loans to go to an expensive school. They believe they'll end up getting better jobs and making more money but you agree with that logic, don't you? I do. Actually, there was a great study done by Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale from the National Bureau of Economic Research. And what they did was they took students who applied to and were accepted into these expensive top-tier schools. And then for whatever reason, decided not to go and they went to a lesser ranked school. Well, they took those individuals and compared them with students who actually did go to those like more expensive schools. And here's what was really great. Five years after graduation, there was no noticeable difference for the vast majority of majors in both terms of pay and quality of job. So what you're saying is that the study proves how well we do in our careers depends more on our personal characteristics than on the school we attended. That's certainly good to know. Thanks, Steven. Thank you, anytime. As I said at the top of my report, most of us have to take out student loans and even though college can be expensive, experts agree that for many careers, a college degree pays off. Those with college degrees tend to earn a lot more than those with only a high school diploma, as much as a million dollars more over their lifetime. But it also depends on the career you choose. Not all college degrees are equal. Some may not be as valuable as you hoped. You may end up not earning as much as you expected and that could mean being trapped and paying back student loans for a lot longer than you plan to. So before jumping into any student loan, do your homework. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Ava.

(Describer) Lylah:

We still have a lot more to tell you about. "Teen Kids News" will be right back.

(Describer) Titles: Coming up, A Fishy Phrase! Spinning with the triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

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(Describer) Parts of a title are drawn in yellow against a brown background. Viewed from further away, Word Wise.

(Describer) Veronique:

Here's an expression that just about everyone uses and gets wrong. When someone comes across a situation, not to their liking they might say, "Now that's a fine kettle of fish!" It conjures up the image of a big kettle filled with fish, except that's not the actual saying. In old England, a kittle was a sort of net that was used to catch fish. So the real phrase was, "A fine kittle of fish." I "kittle" you not. With Word Wise, I'm Veronique.

(Describer) Lylah:

Speeding. It's the top cause of crashes with teen drivers. So the next time you get an urge to speed, keep this message in mind from the National Road Safety Foundation.

(Describer) In a video chat...

Hey, Steve, congratulations on getting your license.

[crowd chattering]

(Describer) Twenty people are on.

Just remember in the first year of driving, one in five has a crash. And speeding is to blame for 18% of fatal crashes involving girls. Yeah. It's even worse with guys. About one-third are killed because of speeding. Actually speeding causes 21% of all teen crashes.

(Describer) Screens go black.

Wait, where did everybody go?

(anchor) No matter how you did the math, it all adds up to the same thing. There's no need to speed. The NRSF produces lots of terrific safety videos each year. To get more info, like follow and subscribe to the National Road Safety Foundation. "Teen Kids News" will be right back

(Describer) Title:

(announcer) Living Minute. A look at the latest medical innovations changing our lives, brought to you by Thermo Fisher Scientific's Coronavirus Testing Program for schools and the Health Channel.

(announcer 2) Just as we were hoping the Omicron variant or BA.1 was on the decline, A new sub-variant is hitting the U.S. called BA.2 that's even more infectious, but how dangerous is it?

(Describer) Gregory Poland:

This is early. There does not seem to be evidence that it may be more virulent, that is, that it causes any worse disease than the original Omicron strain and that's a good thing.

(announcer 2) Experts say fully vaccinated people seem to be protected from BA.2 but for the over 60 million Americans not vaccinated, the risk is great. This sub-variant is already overtaking the number of old Omicron cases in some countries.

(Describer) Titles: For more information: LivingMinute dot tv. ThermoFisher Scientific. Health Channel. Spinning with the triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

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(Describer) Clothespins hold cards with letters that spell out "prom". In photos, someone puts a wrist corsage on a girl, two other girls smile for a selfie, formal suits and dresses are shown, and two couples smile together. Title: Prom Prep 101.

Ever wonder why prom is called prom? That's a hard one. That's a hard one. I'm trying to think of like proposal maybe, like promproposal started from prom so I don't know where it originated from. Nope, I don't. I think prom sort of like is like I don't know who invented the name or like where it came from. I never understood the meaning of it. I don't know if it's like an acronym or but I actually never understood what it meant. All I know is that it's a big party at the end of high school to celebrate with all your friends because you might not see a lot of them again Actually the word prom comes from the old days when couples would enter a formal party by marching in, or promenading, kind of like strutting your stuff. But by stuff, I mean your formal attire and that raises the question of what to wear. To give some suggestions is Jen Forman. She's the founder of Charlotte's Closet. That's an online site that rents formal dresses to teens at a discount. So Jen, what are some are your favorite looks that never go out of style? There are so many classic timeless looks. The first is the lace trend. So we have Kaylee modeling that lace inspired, form-fitted gown by Jolene in an eye-catching sapphire shade which gives it an updated look. The best part is that it retails for $340. It can be rented from Charlotte's Closet for just $145. Wow, that's amazing, and it looks amazing as well. What would a guy wear to go with this? Jasper is modeling a look that truly compliments what Kaylee is wearing. We tell them here to ditch the black jacket for a blue shade and his accessories truly match.

(Describer) A darker blue.

The stylish fashions today are from the Black Tux which is a great site that rents formal wear. That's awesome. Thank you guys so much. You look great. Is a two-piece dress an option for a timeless look? It is. The two piece is still one of the most requested styles at Charlotte's Closet and today we have Alice, who's modeling a classic and timeless two piece in an updated on-trend burgundy shade. This beaded top and flared skirt by Milano Formals retails for well over $300 but can be rented for just $125. Wow! That's amazing and great, great trend. Is there a timeless look for guys as well? There is. So we have Anthony who is modeling a traditional classic black tuxedo, which is always on trend but this time we've paired it with matching coordinating burgundy accessories which truly compliments her look. Yeah. They look amazing together.

(both) Thanks, guys. How about some more gowns that won't go out of style? Well, the most timeless of all is definitely the ball gown which, really, who doesn't wanna be the belle of the ball? Yeah, exactly. So we have Lauren, who is modeling an updated ball gown style in a floral pattern. Best part is it does have pockets. This dress by Blush retails for $320 and can be rented from Charlotte's Closet for just $145. That's absolutely stunning. So what can a guy wear to match this gown? So this time we have Dylan who is modeling a classic gray suit that we paired with coordinating accessories. In this case, he has a slim pink tie which really, truly compliments her look. Definitely.

(Describer) The full skirt has floral designs.

They look great too. [chuckles]

That's my son. Aw! [chuckles] Perfect, prom ready. Thank you so much for your timely advice on timeless pieces for prom. It's my pleasure. With Prom Prep 101, I'm Emily for "Teen Kids News." What's up? I am Mia Lailani. Check out my music next on "Teen Kids News."

♪ Oh yeah you know you got it ♪

(Describer) Lylah:

It's time for Emily's report on Rising Stars.

(Describer) In a pattern of different color squares and rectangles, young people sing in various settings. Title: Teen Kids News Rising Stars.

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(Emily) On the Upper West Side of Manhattan, there's a high school for gifted artists and performers. It's called LaGuardia. Some of its most famous grads are TV's favorite friend, Jennifer Aniston, movie star Timothée Chalamet, as well as rapper Nicki Minaj, to just name a few. This week's Rising Star isn't a grad of LaGuardia High School, at least not yet. She's still a student there, but like many of her classmates she's clearly got talent. Here's "Cliche," written and performed by 16-year-old Mia Lailani.

♪ I guess my heart is set on you ♪

(Describer) In the music video, she performs by murals and in a park.

♪ It's cliche but what can I do ♪

♪ I run away but I can't break through ♪

♪ Oh yeah you know you got it ♪

♪ I guess my heart is set on you ♪

♪ It's cliche but what can I do ♪

♪ Run away but I know it's you ♪♪

Pretty cool. It looks like you really enjoyed making that video.

(Describer) Lailani:

I did enjoy making that video. We filmed it in June of 2020 on my dad's iPhone. We kind of just went around south Bronx and I put together an outfit and that is how Cliche's made. It's just about, the video's just me being all cute and singing to the camera. It seems that you've been singing just about all your life, going way back to when you were only two years old. That is very true. My mom found me in my crib when I was two years old. Apparently I don't know this, I was two, but she says that I was in my crib and she heard me sing "No One" by Alicia Keys, and I was a baby. So it's like kind of incredible that I could remember that song in the first place and also to sing it, so two years old. Why do you think you have such a strong connection with music? I've been surrounded my music my whole life. My dad has been in the music industry. He works as an audio engineer and we have a studio in our basement. So it was kind of inevitable that I get into music because my brother worked on music. And so I've been surrounded by music because of them and I made my first song when I was 10 years old with my brother and my dad. And so, I don't know, it's just a passion of mine. I enjoy making music and makes me very happy. Your dad says you can write a song on just about anything. For example, you actually wrote about the color yellow. I did. I mean, I wrote about the color yellow, but it's not necessarily about the color yellow. It was kind of like a thing on TikTok that I saw and it was like, yellow is what you call a person who's like there for you. And so I just wrote about it 'cause I knew it like teens would understand what that meant.

♪ Ya like a Yellow flower ♪

(Describer) In the video, she sings and plays a keyboard.

♪ Take me home ♪

♪ Sleepy, happy and everybody knows ♪

♪ You're like a cup of coffee in the morning ♪

♪ Love in love in love ♪

♪ Your my yellow yellow ♪

♪ Oh oh oh Yellow ♪♪

How do you describe your music? I would describe my music as just real. I don't write about cheesy things. I write about real experiences that I go through, emotions that I don't understand, or I try to work my way through.

♪ And say something that I can feel ♪

(Describer) She performs among glowing bars of light.

♪ Say something that makes me feel ♪

♪ So lovely ♪

My music is my way of venting. If I ever have a problem or I feel overwhelmed with something, I just write about it and I express myself. But yeah, just to resonate with people and just be real and authentic. You're a vocal major at LaGuardia High School. That's quite a commute from your home in the Bronx, isn't it? It is. It takes about an hour and a half to get there depending on traffic in both ways. What do you like best about LaGuardia? I love the diversity and the different talents there are in LaGuardia 'cause we have drama majors, we have vocal majors, art majors, tech majors, dance majors, and so to be around people who are also as passionate about their craft as you, it's just different. I came from a school in the Bronx and it was like a regular public school, but going to LaGuardia is just a different atmosphere. I've never been surrounded with kids my age who share the same passions as me and are as dedicated as me. And it also motivates you and makes you wanna do better and collab with people. And so, yeah it's just a very life-changing experience going to LaGuardia. "Cliche" is just one of 11 songs on your album, "Blink of an Eye." Why that title? "Blink of an Eye." I came up with that title because while making the album I kind of realized like how much I had gone through in the span of the time that we created it and just how fast everything has changed. I was 14 when I started writing on the album, writing the album and I finished when I was 15, turning 16. And so it was just pretty incredible to like realize like, "Wow, I went through all this growth and look where I am today." And overall the general idea is that time flies, and it's very important to be aware of that and just experience life and enjoy it before it passes. Another song is "Mama Said." It's a song that raises a lot of pretty serious issues, right?

(Mia) I wrote "Mama Said" about like all, how we don't really know a lot about the world. I mean we do, but there's a lot of things that we don't have answers to. It makes us anxious about our future and worried and kind of like, what's gonna happen in the future, like with global warming and racism still and inequality and all of that. But I kind of just wrote about how we feel and trying to make, to spread the message of, you know, we need to fix this. We need to bring acknowledgement towards this so we can change it and make it better for ourselves, for the younger generation 'cause it is a very important topic Before we play some of "Mama Said," how can viewers find your music? You can find my music-- first of all, you go to on my website, mialailani.com and also you can look me up on Spotify, on Apple Music on YouTube, on SoundCloud, anywhere you listen to music. Mialailani, M-I-A-L-A-I-L-A N-I. "Blink of an Eye," the album. Just look me up, go listen to the catalog. Thanks for joining us today, Mia. Thank you for having me. As I said, here's "Mama Said" by Mia Lailani. For "Teen Kids News," I'm Emily.

♪ I'm so tired of being forgotten ♪

♪ In this world that don't remain ♪

♪ I'm tired of losing sleep ♪

♪ Over something I can't change ♪

♪ I don't wanna grow up, no ♪

♪ I don't wanna grow up, no ♪

♪ I don't wanna lose all my hope ♪♪

(Describer) Lylah:

Well, that wraps up our show for this week, but we'll be back with more "Teen Kids News" next week. See you then.

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(Describer) Titles: Producer: Marilou Yacoub Director/Writer: Alan J. Weiss Camera and Editing: Rick Lavon, David Lauterbach Original Theme Music: Michael Karp Finance Manager: Tania Wilk Production Intern: Maxwell Lagano Created by Executive Producers: Albert T. Primo, Alan J. Weiss Copyright Eyewitness Kids News LLC 2022 Alan Weiss Productions Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.