Posted 12/6/22


Tennessee, like a number of other states across the country, requires successful completion of a stand-alone personal finance course for high school graduation.

The requirement is an affirmation that all students should master core financial management competencies in time to make adult financial decisions that may affect the rest of their lives. The requirement has been in place for Tennessee's graduating high school students for nearly a decade.

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is embarking on a rigorous two-year study examining critically important characteristics of financial education as it unfolds in the classroom.

The project will involve conducting a needs assessment in cooperation with Tennessee educators responsible for teaching personal finance to high school students. The information collected will include the resources and curricula teachers are currently using teachers' views about personal finance education and students' reaction to the classes, teachers' perceptions about financial issues facing their students, challenges of teaching the classes, and steps that can be taken to improve financial education.