#FloridaPeachy Florida becomes 11th state to guarantee personal finance course to high schoolers; Stiles-Nicholson Foundation and Next Gen Personal Finance investing $1 million for teacher professional development
Florida high school students will now be guaranteed to complete a personal finance course prior to crossing that graduation stage as The Dorothy Hukill Financial Literacy Act was signed into law today by Governor Ron DeSantis. Starting with students entering grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year, all Florida high schoolers will complete a one semester course that teaches them how to manage a bank account, file a tax return and to build long-term wealth through investing. Florida now becomes the 11th and largest state to guarantee a personal finance course to all high school students.
"In all my meetings with lawmakers this session," said Yanely Espinal, Next Gen Personal Finance's Director of Partnerships, "Senator Hukill's legacy always came up. She wanted students to learn financial skills in school before they got into the school of hard knocks, and this bill was the best chance for all students to do so." During the last 6 months, Espinal's advocacy included meetings with the bill sponsors, Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera and Senator Travis Hutson, as well as dozens of other legislators, educators, district superintendents and additional stakeholders.
The idea that all Florida high schoolers should have a comprehensive personal finance education garnered bipartisan support with unanimous votes in the Florida House and Senate. The popularity of this bill was also evidenced by recent polling conducted by Public Policy Polling in early March. Their poll found that 85% of Florida voters agreed that high school students should be guaranteed a course in personal finance.
The bill's signing is another indication of the strong momentum towards increased access to financial education. Since 2018, the number of states guaranteeing all students take a standalone personal finance course has more than doubled from five to eleven. Already in 2022, 26 state legislatures have introduced fifty-six bills to expand access to financial education (Source: NGPF FinEd BillTracker).
"With the amount of credit card debt and student loans the average American now holds, it's no wonder students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders are calling for this course," said Yanely Espinal. "We all wish we learned about important financial decisions before we had to make them, not after."
Next Gen Personal Finance has committed to supporting the implementation of this state-wide financial education program through:
Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) curriculum and industry leading professional development provided at no cost to Florida educators. More than 59,000 personal finance teachers nationwide (incl. 1,700 in Florida) utilize NGPF curriculum, reaching more than 80% of high school students.
A $1 million investment in teacher professional development through grants from the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation and Next Gen Personal Finance. This investment will ensure a successful implementation of the personal finance course guarantee. Teachers will receive stipends for participating in NGPF professional development which includes certification courses, on-demand modules and virtual PD sessions.
Various grants available for the state of Florida to aid in implementation of the Personal Finance course
"Today marks a watershed moment in the financial education movement. With one stroke of a pen, all Florida high schoolers (5% of total U.S. high school population) will now have a guaranteed personal finance course." said Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance. "Now the hard work of implementation begins. NGPF is committed to working with Florida educators during this implementation period to guarantee that the education delivered is of the highest quality."
About Next Gen Personal Finance
Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), has become the "one-stop shop" for more than 58,000 educators looking for high-quality, engaging personal finance curriculum to equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the future. NGPF curriculum has a broad reach, with more than 8 out of 10 U.S. high school students attending schools where a teacher uses the NGPF curriculum. NGPF invests in teacher professional development with 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."
About Stiles-Nicholson Foundation
The Stiles-Nicholson Foundation was formed in 1992 as a private family foundation in memory of William John Stiles (a World War II fallen soldier), and William Nicholson (a German POW survivor), the father and step-father of David John Stiles Nicholson. The Foundation's original mission was to improve and enhance the education of citizens to better understand the benefits of the free enterprise system and how best to cope and succeed in the real world. The mission presently includes 4 major education initiatives and we are excited to utilize our rapid growth to help create a better, more opportunistic America with equal opportunity for all to be the best that they can be.
