“The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat” with a holiday twist! Review this year’s wins, losses, and lessons learned with NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, our affiliate nonprofit that champions personal finance graduation requirements in state legislatures, state boards of education, and beyond.

The thrill of victory

The crown jewel of 2024’s advocacy effort was California’s adoption of a personal finance graduation requirement.

Assembly Bill 2927, which passed with overwhelming support and was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in June, will ensure that starting with the class of 2031, all California high school students must complete a one-semester personal finance course to graduate.

Here is a GIF of NGPF co-Founder Tim Ranzetta when he saw the news:

This victory was years in the making, requiring sustained advocacy efforts from educators, students, parents, and organizations across the state, as well as an organized ballot campaign, Californians for Financial Education. With overwhelming grassroots support and the already-compelling evidence of the benefits of financial education, the most populous state in the U.S. proved it can make significant policy changes to help students.

Even large, diverse states can prioritize financial education despite systemic headwinds and fierce opposition. Check out our exhilarating recap of the California campaign here.

The agony of defeat

While the victory in California had us dancing like Elf, plenty of moments had us grimacing like Grinches (pre-heart expansion) this year, too.

Our team invested in organized advocacy campaigns in several states that fell short in 2024. Out of respect for folks in these states (and because we may be back to advocate in future years) I won’t name the states directly. However, I hope the following stories will give you a sense of the opposition we often encounter when advocating for personal finance graduation requirements.

In one state, a few key lawmakers killed a personal finance graduation requirement by painting it as a “dangerous precedent,” a harbinger of *dozens* of new graduation requirements that would bury their state’s high schoolers in never-ending mandates and keep them from graduating. Never mind that personal finance graduation requirements do not reduce graduation rates!

In three separate states, “back room deals” watered down standalone personal finance graduation requirements into embedded personal finance instruction within other courses, an approach that (research shows) does not expand access to financial education.

Get this: in one state, a local chapter of a radical political organization rallied its members to call their state Senators to spread wild disinformation about what would be taught in a personal finance course, right before a crucial floor vote. Lawmakers took the callers at their word, panicked, and killed a personal finance graduation requirement bill that had passed with a bipartisan vote in the state’s Senate Education Committee just a few weeks prior.

Incremental progress

Not all advocacy efforts lead to all-or-nothing victories.

In New Mexico, for example, personal finance may now be included in each local school district’s graduation requirements if they choose. To help with implementation, NGPF has committed $25,000 in grants to school districts that choose personal finance as a local requirement under NM’s new statute on a first-come-first-served basis. Get in touch with me if your NM public school district is interested!

Lessons from the field in 2024

Teachers are Changemakers. In every state, the most compelling advocates for personal finance education are educators (and their students) who experience its impact daily. Increasing teachers’ visibility - and fighting for their seat at the table so policymakers are hearing directly from them - is central to our 2025 advocacy strategy.

Patience with the process. Systemic change takes time. While setbacks can be disheartening, they often lay the groundwork for future wins. Building trust, refining our approach, and remaining poised for the right moment are all long-term habits.

Tailored messaging. each state’s political, cultural, and economic realities require nuanced advocacy. California’s success stemmed in part from messaging that resonated with a huge grassroots coalition.

“Pre-but” opponents’ fears. opposition is never the end of the road. When opponents speak their mind about their concerns with personal finance graduation requirements, we must see this as an opportunity. We can collaborate with opponents to find solutions to their most difficult challenges.

Looking ahead to 2025

As we step into 2025, we’re doubling down on the strategies that been successful while innovating to find new answers.

California’s win is a powerful motivator, but our work is far from done. From legislative halls to teacher classrooms, the journey to Mission 2030 continues—and so does our unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation with comprehensive financial education

Thank you for standing with us this year. Together, we’re shaping a brighter financial future for millions of students. The Grinch (post-heart expansion) would be proud!

About the Author

Christian Sherrill

Former teacher, forever financial education nerd. As NGPF's Director of Growth & Advocacy, Christian is laser-focused on our mission to guarantee all students a rigorous personal finance course before crossing the high school graduation stage. Having paid down over $40k in student loans in the span of 3 years - while living in the Bay Area on an entry level teacher's salary - he's eager to help the next generation avoid financial pitfalls one semester at a time.

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