NGPF's 2022 State of Financial Education Report shows access to personal finance courses is expanding in U.S. high schools

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Apr 21, 2022, 14:21 ET

12 states now guarantee Personal Finance courses before high school graduation

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Gen Personal Finance, the leading nonprofit provider of free financial education curriculum and professional development, has published its 2022 State of Financial Education Report in collaboration with Dr. Carly Urban of Montana State University.

The analysis of over 11,000 high school course catalogs shows that national access to financial education is improving. In 2018, just 5 states guaranteed standalone personal finance courses for all high schoolers. Today, 8 have fully implemented statewide guarantees and 4 are beginning implementation. Just in the last year, over 300,000 additional students have gained access to guaranteed financial education within their high schools. Nationally, guaranteed access to personal finance courses expanded to nearly 1 in 4 public high school students in 2022, and will increase to 1 in 3 in the coming years based on the states currently implementing new state-wide legislation (Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, and Rhode Island).

"Our 2022 report shows tremendous momentum across the country as more states recognize the importance of guaranteeing this course for high school students. Significant gaps remain, however, that must be addressed by educators, lawmakers, and state departments of education to continue to increase access for all students," shared Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance.

While much progress has been made, there is still room to improve. Next Gen Personal Finance outlines how schools can begin their journey towards guaranteed financial education here. While nationally, nearly 1 in 4 students have guaranteed access to the course, in the 42 states that currently don't guarantee the course, less than 1 in 10 students are guaranteed to take a Personal Finance course.

Access is also unequal for students of color and students in low income communities. Course catalogs reveal that in schools with greater than 75% Black and Brown student populations, only 1 in 20 students have guaranteed access. The same is true in schools with greater than 75% students eligible for Free or Reduced-price Lunch.

To learn more about the state of financial education in the U.S. join Dr. Carly Urban, Florida Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, and Jen Lehmann, a personal finance teacher at H. Frank Carey High School (NY) for a research presentation and panel discussion on Tuesday, Apr 26 at 4:00pm ET via Zoom. Register here.

See more here: The full NGPF State of Financial Education report is available here.

About Next Gen Personal Finance
Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) has become the "one-stop shop" for more than 60,000 educators looking for high-quality, engaging personal finance curriculum to equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the future. More than 12,000 teachers have invested 300,000 hours in NGPF professional development, which includes live virtual sessions, certification courses and asynchronous On-Demand modules. The non-profit has been recognized by Common Sense Education as a "Top Website for Teachers to Find Lesson Plans" and "Best Business and Finance Games."

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SOURCE Next Gen Personal Finance