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The national momentum for educating students about understanding money and finance is undeniable. Twenty-nine states have passed legislation requiring students to take a personal finance class for high school graduation, most of them during the past seven years.

While many states continue to work through the curriculum implementation process, the demand for personal finance courses is high. According to a nationwide survey in April by our organization, the National Endowment for Financial Education (www.nefe.org), 83 percent of U.S. adults said their state should require a semester-long or yearlong course for high school graduation, and 82 percent wished they were required to complete a financial literacy class in high school. The recent legislative developments suggest that by 2030, at least half of all high school students nationwide will receive such instruction before graduation.

Personal finance data demonstrate the importance of inclusive and equitable instruction. Students completing personal finance classes have lower rates of credit card delinquency, make better decisions on postsecondary education financing and have a lower likelihood of using payday loans, according to a 2018 study on the effects of mandated financial education and a similar report in 2019 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.