Pennsylvania Personal Finance Classes Get Enthusiastic Response From Students

Some high school students tie themselves in knots to get good grades in multiple challenging classes so that they can get acceptance to colleges where admissions are competitive or, even better, get scholarships to their dream colleges.  The students who are just ready for high school to be over so that they can get on with adulthood.  Financial worries underlie both of these attitudes toward high school, although teachers might not notice it, mostly because they are too caught up in their own financial stress; teaching may be the most emotionally rewarding profession, but it is far from being the most financially rewarding profession.  The teachers who teach Pennsylvania’s personal finance classes, which are a new addition to the state’s high school curriculum, are seeing new levels of engagement from students, regardless of the students’ career plans after high school.  These classes may lead to the new generation of young adults avoiding common consumer finance mistakes and making wise decisions about their spending, but many of the causes of financial stress for American consumers run too deep for individuals’ decisions about the money they personally control to solve them.  If you are doing everything right, but you are still in debt, contact a Philadelphia debt relief lawyer.

What Pennsylvania Students Learn in Personal Finance Classes

In 2023, Pennsylvania amended its laws so that all high school students must take a year-long personal finance class before they graduate.  As of April 2025, 26 states require such classes.  In Pennsylvania, the curriculum of personal finance classes goes beyond learning about how simple and compound interest work and how to balance a checkbook.  For example, the first unit is on the psychology of money.  Students learn about setting financial goals and coping with financial stress, in addition to the personal finance lessons that can be expressed in numerical terms.

Students are reporting that the class has made an impression.  A recent graduate received a raise at work after asking one in the manner he had learned about in his personal finance class.  Another student said that, after learning about investments and the banking system in his high school personal finance class, he decided to major in finance in college.

Financial Hardship Is Bigger Than Even the Most Skillfully Designed Personal Budget

Personal finance classes can be practical and inspiring, but chances are that many of your financial problems are due to macroeconomics.  Wages are low, prices are high, and consumer protections are insufficient.  Consider that in Pennsylvania, as in most states, the energy company can shut off your air conditioning if you fall behind on your bills.  You might need to seek recourse to one of the lifelines you learned about in personal finance class, such as a debt consolidation loan or a bankruptcy filing.

Contact CONSUMERLAWPA.com 

A Philadelphia consumer law attorney can help you understand your financial problems and address them.  Contact CONSUMERLAWPA.com to set up a free, confidential consultation.

Source:

cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/high-school-personal-finance-pennsylvania-requirement/