Complimentary Financial Literacy Resources for Youth
(From High School Until They are Living Independently)
Most youth move away from home with little to no financial knowledge and poor financial habits. This situation causes many early mistakes that can haunt young people for years. From getting into too much college debt, to making credit mistakes, to not saving money early in life – all these situations can cause youth long-term problems that might follow them for decades.
It is essential for parents, teachers, and community members to provide young people with financial education and help them build financial foundations prior to moving out on their own. Helping them establish good financial management systems and routines gives them one less thing they will need to figure out by trial and error.
We encourage you to provide opportunities for youth to prepare for the financial realities of life while they still have the safety net of living at home and being supported by their families. We hope these resources help.
Youth Financial Standards & Learning Outcomes Guide (High School → Independent Living)
The youth financial education standards prepare young people for consequential financial choices they’ll face as adults. Content is deeper and more applied than in earlier grades, and instruction emphasizes transfer, critical thinking, and long-term planning. NFEC organizes learning into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels so educators can match lessons to students’ prior knowledge, numeracy, and life stage.
Behavioral finance and financial psychology are integrated throughout so learners understand how biases, social norms, and emotions shape decisions. Pedagogy favors active, experiential methods – simulations, real-world projects, internships or employer partnerships, and scaffolded assignments that lead to capstone demonstrations of competence.
Timing is critical: deliver modules when students confront real decisions – senior year (student aid, borrowing), first job (benefits, payroll), and pre-renting or first-time home-buying. Taught at the right moment, with appropriate rigor and practical assessment, youth financial education builds a durable foundation for lifelong financial capability and greater economic confidence.
*Our curriculum far exceeds standards for state-mandated financial education programs. The full student guide for youth is over 1,900 pages and completely modular so you can select the lessons that best suit your audience.
Moving Out on Your Own: Independent Living Workshop
Every young person wants to move out of their parents’ home, get away from the rules that govern them there, have friends and their partner over whenever they want, and have the freedom to come and go when they choose. In this workshop, you will learn how to create a budget and find out what it takes to build the financial independence to get into that rental property that you want! After completing this workshop, you will have the tools you need to get that independence you desire.
