Require Personal Finance as a Graduation Requirement - NY State

Every year, thousands of New York students graduate high school without ever learning how to build a budget, understand credit, or avoid predatory debt; yet they are expected to make major financial decisions almost immediately, from student loans to first apartments to credit cards. Nearly half of Americans cannot cover a $1,000 emergency expense, and this gap falls hardest on low-income and first-generation students across New York, who often do not learn these skills at home.

New York currently does not require a standalone personal finance course for high school graduation, leaving financial education inconsistent across school districts and often dependent on a single elective, if offered at all. We are calling on the New York State Legislature and the State Education Department to require a personal finance course, covering budgeting, credit and debt management, saving, taxes, and consumer protection, as a statewide graduation requirement for every public high school student in New York. Financial literacy should not depend on your zip code or what your family already knows; it should be a guaranteed part of every New York student's education.