NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The demand for financial literacy education is making its way through the Tennessee legislature. A new bill aims to introduce important topics to students of all ages.
But an amendment passed Tuesday changed the tenor of the bill.
Now, the bill will ask schools to provide information to the education commissioner on what financial classes they offer in elementary and middle school. Unlike the original bill, this takes away the requirement for the schools to provide them.
Previously, the heart of the bill specifically targeted elementary and middle school-aged students to give them a good foundation when it comes to how to use their money.
It's a topic that's becoming more widespread for students. Nationwide nearly one in four high school students who graduated last year had taken a stand-alone personal finance course, up 6% from 2018.
Tennessee requires its students to complete a half-semester class on personal financial education in order to graduate. Experts point out though that learning about the concepts of saving or investing alone can’t guarantee financial success. They said this is a good start, but they'd like to see more done.
