( The Hill ) — Personal finance classes have become a requirement for high school graduation in dozens of states in the past few years, sparking hope for activists that financial literacy is finally receiving the support it deserves.
A tracker from Next Gen Personal Finance shows that in 2020, only eight states had a standalone personal finance course available for all high schoolers. This year, 25 states will offer a financial literacy class in K-12. Eight of those states have fully implemented the class, while 17 are still in progress.
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“All of a sudden, it does seem like states are sitting up and taking notice, and it’s really just happened in the past couple of years,” said Jessica Pelletier, executive director of FitMoney.
Experts say these classes are about more than writing checks and, despite COVID-19 giving a boost to the cause, will continue to grow for high schoolers — and potentially middle school.