Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently signed HB25-1192: Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement into law. With this signing, Colorado becomes the 28th state to mandate personal finance education. HB25-1192 requires students to successfully complete a course that incorporates financial literacy standards as a condition of high school graduation.
“Increasing financial literacy helps young adults gain financial knowledge and make informed decisions about their personal finances. Thank you to the sponsors for recognizing the importance of education around money management and financial planning for young adults,” said Governor Polis.
Requirements often create issues like curriculum alignment challenges, teacher training needs, and inadequate resources. While these challenges can be overwhelming for educators and schools, Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain (JA-Rocky Mountain) believes strongly in the value of financial education and is uniquely positioned to support educators with comprehensive solutions.
JA-Rocky Mountain is a leader in financial literacy programs, with rigorous, multi-year curriculum that aligns with state educational standards that is shown by third-party evaluations to have a positive impact on students’ financial readiness. “It’s essential for financial literacy courses to use evidence-based methods that effectively improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors – going beyond basic online modules that may not reliably achieve these outcomes,” said Robin Wise, President and CEO of JA-Rocky Mountain. “Programs like nationally recognized JA Finance Park are offered at no cost to schools and have proven impact – 87% of students who participate feel they have more control over how their future will turn out.”
The signing of HB25-1192 comes at a time when there is unprecedented momentum and interest in early economic and financial education, reflecting a growing recognition of its importance in shaping future generations. Research by Junior Achievement (JA) and the firm Big Village shows that interest in financial literacy education begins early for many young people. A survey of 1,002 teens conducted in July 2024 found that 68% of teens between 13 and 17 would be “likely” to take a class on financial literacy topics. However, only 31% of teens surveyed said that they had access to these kinds of courses at school.
JA-Rocky Mountain also provides accredited teacher training in addition to its renowned student programs. This is possible thanks to a 2024 merger of JA-Rocky Mountain and Economic Literacy Colorado (ELC). Economic and financial literacy training for teachers is critical to the state’s efforts to increase the financial capabilities of Coloradans. The U.S. Strategy for Financial Literacy states that financial education providers must know the material they are teaching and effectively present it to students.
