New York students deserve a core Personal Finance Course. Nothing less.

Help defend effective financial education in New York

What’s At Stake

The next generation of New Yorkers needs our help to replace a “check-the-box” high school personal finance requirement proposed by the NYSED Board of Regents.

New York should require a standalone Personal Finance course for all high schoolers

It's the only proven model to help students

190,000 New York 12th graders per year can graduate financially ready with a full semester course on budgeting, saving, taxes, credit, investing, careers, and beyond. 


New Yorkers want financial education done right

86% of New York voters want a standalone high school course requirement.


New York should lead, not lag

NY ranks 40th in the U.S. for high school personal finance education.

 
Where the Board of Regents plan falls short
 

The NY Inspires plan allows high school students to meet its proposed personal finance graduation requirement with a few embedded lessons in another course or by taking 1 of 18 different courses.


The research is clear: Standalone courses work. Check-the-box methods don't.
 

1. A full course drives 6x improvements in graduates' financial wellbeing vs. embedded instruction, especially increasing credit scoresCollins & Urban (2025)

 

2. Only 39% of students receive any “required” financial education when their states adopt embedded requirements. Standalone requirements are implemented universallyLeudtke & Urban (2024)

 

3. Standalone personal finance course requirements pose no incremental costs to school districtsUrban (2025)

 

How You Can Help

Use Your Voice!

1. Alert Your State Assembly Rep that the Regents' plan falls short.

2. Submit Your Public Comment by Jan 19, 2026. Here's a helpful template:


Dear NYSED Board of Regents,

I am a resident of [CITY] writing to ask the Regents to improve the high school personal finance requirement in the NY Inspires plan before voting in March.

Please replace the 9th-12th grade embedded personal finance requirement with a standalone personal finance course requirement of at least one semester.

Our children deserve nothing less than a financial education policy that is proven to work.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]

What we advocate

5 research-backed principles

All students deserve a standalone personal finance course of at least one semester (18+ weeks of instruction).

Teach the course in grades 11 or 12, when the concepts are most relevant and real to students.

Cover all Personal Finance state standards to help students navigate real financial issues.

Should be taught by teachers who have taken professional development to teach the course confidently and effectively.

Give 3-5 years for implementation and allow personal finance to fulfill local school districts' choice of existing requirements.

What we’ve helped accomplish

The NGPF Mission 2030 Fund's nationwide advocacy campaign has increased the number of states requiring a high school personal finance course from 8 states in 2020 to 30 states in 2026.

As a result of these policy wins, over 76% of U.S. public high school students will graduate having taken a personal finance course by 2031.

Does implementing personal finance course requirements cost a lot?

No. September 2025 Research demonstrated that implementing standalone personal finance courses creates no incremental costs for school districts.

See The Study

What do New Yorkers think?

86% of New York voters said NYSED should require a standalone personal finance course in a December 2025 poll by Public Policy Polling. Across the political spectrum, New Yorkers want financial education done right.

Resources

Issue Brief

The financial capital of the world should lead on personal finance education
Download

Video

Trailer - The Most Important Class: Mission, Movement, and Momentum
Watch

In the News

Rochester Beacon: New York students deserve a standalone personal finance course
Read

Polling Data

PPP: 86% of New York voters want a standalone personal finance course requirement
View