Making Cents: Why Personal Finance Should be a Required Class by Sagine

Making Cents: Why Personal Finance Should be a Required Class by Sagine - June 2025 Scholarship Essay

A class that should be a required is a personal finance course. Classes that teach students essential life skills. Some mandatory topics would be learning how to create and manage a budget. The basics of credit and how to build it responsibly, how to file taxes independently, and learning responsibility of loans. This would be the intro of the course; the remainder of the course would teach students about financial tools like Roth IRAs and 401(k)s for retirement planning and introduce students to concepts like investing, compound interest, insurance, and even starting an LLC or small business.

I believe the education system needs to change as society does. We’re evolving, and the teaching of the next generations should as well. Many young adults graduate without understanding how money works in the real world. As a result, these generations have been ending up in debt, falling behind on bills, or making financial decisions that hurt their future. Teaching these skills early can change our lives and the way we live. School is where we learn and prepare for the “real world”, and learning about finances should be #1. This would allow us to feel more confident moving into adulthood.

Personal finance affects everyone, no matter what career path you choose. Understanding how to manage your money is essential, and they need to teach this in schools. Our younger generations have so much potential; we just need the right resources. Breaking these continuous cycles starts with educating our young. It is just as important as learning math, science, or English. If more people were financially literate, it would lead to stronger families, more secure communities, and a healthier economy overall. This should be required.