NH Jump$tart Coalition Releases the 2024 Statewide Financial Literacy Study of NH High Schools

89% of NH public high schools offer personal finance courses; 31% require students to pass a standalone course in personal finance to graduate

HILLSBOROUGH, NH, UNITED STATES, January 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The NH Jump$tart Coalition announced New Hampshire high schools are making positive strides toward providing more opportunities for students to learn and understand personal finance. The NH Jump$tart Coalition, an all-volunteer non-profit organization that strives to prepare

youth for life-long, successful financial decision making, has released its biennial study of personal finance curriculum and graduation requirements of 76 public high schools in New Hampshire. While the study reveals significant progress, many schools still do not require students to pass a class in personal finance to graduate from their school district.

The mission of the NH Jump$tart Coalition is to advance financial literacy and financial equity, especially among the youth of New Hampshire, through communication, collaboration, and support for effectiveness in financial education. The organization conducted its first study of New Hampshire public high school curriculum in 2013; updated in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and this recent study was completed in late 2024. The study pointed out that as of June 30, 2024, progress was made in offering personal finance as a standalone course of study OR integrated in a current curriculum. Click here to read the study.

The State Board of Education on August 14, 2024, voted unanimously to approve the final proposal to amend rules governing the first half of the Minimum Standards for Public Schools Approval ED 306.01-306.26, which outlines regulatory requirements for the operation of public-school districts and public academies. Included in this portion is the state graduation requirement of one-half credit of financial literacy beginning in the 2026-2027 school year for those students entering high school. The Department of Education must survey school districts on a biennial basis to receive reports on compliance with the minimum standards. The last compliance report was submitted in the summer of 2024.

“We are encouraged by the significant progress being made in our schools, and we believe that the standalone personal finance requirement will be more prevalent in the next study cycle” said Dan Hebert, president, NH Jump$tart Coalition. “We have students who want to learn, educators prepared to teach them, and resources available, but it also starts at home. We urge parents to take an interest in modeling and teaching financial responsibility at home and advocating for effective financial education in their school districts.”

Key findings from the 2024 study include:
-89% of New Hampshire public high schools clearly offer a personal finance course as either an elective or requirement, in addition to meeting the state requirement for economics.
-31% of New Hampshire public high schools clearly require a standalone course in personal finance for graduation from their school district.
-10% of New Hampshire public high schools require economics only but include elements of personal finance in their course of study.
In 2013, only three public high schools in New Hampshire met the state minimum requirement in economics and required students to pass a half-credit class in personal finance to graduate. The 2024 study revealed an improvement with twenty-four public high schools now requiring students to pass a separate, standalone course in personal finance to graduate. They are:

Bedford High School
Berlin High School
Bow High School
Colebrook Academy
Epping High School
Franklin High School
Farmington High School
Gorham High School
Hindsdale High School
Hopkinton High School
Inter-Lakes High School
John Stark Regional High School
Mascenic High School
Mascoma Valley Regional High School
Merrimack Valley High School
Newfound Regional High School
Pelham High School
Pinkerton Academy
Profile High School
Prospect Mountain High School
Spaulding High School
Wilton - Lyndenboro High School
Winnisquam Regional High School
Woodsville High School

For more information about the NH Jump$tart Coalition and to access the full 2024 Report on New Hampshire Public High Schools, visit www.nhjumpstart.org.

About NH Jump$tart Coalition:
Now celebrating 25 years, NH Jump$tart is a statewide, all volunteer, nonprofit association dedicated to improving the personal financial literacy of children in the Granite State. We are also a proud state affiliate of the National Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. The National Jump$tart Coalition, based in Washington, D.C., was first convened in 1995 and consists of over 200 organizations committed to improving the financial literacy of America’s youth.