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February 14, 2005 Area High Schools Help Students Master Financial Planning Skills Students in twenty-eight North Dakota schools have recently completed a financial education program provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education. According to NEFE, teens completing the High School Financial Planning Program (HSFPP) increase their understanding of money management and improve financial behavior. “The High School Financial Planning Program has allowed millions of students to gain the skills necessary to lead financially secure and rewarding lives in adulthood,” said William L. Anthes, president and CEO of NEFE. The HSFPP was developed by the Colorado-based National Endowment for Financial Education and is provided without charge as a public service. The program seeks to increase the financial literacy of the nation’s youth, empowering them to make positive and sound decisions to reach their financial goals. On completion of the course, students are quizzed on the financial knowledge they had prior to the class and also the knowledge they have gained. Students are asked the same questions again three months later. Results show significant improvement in all areas of financial management and even further improvements later on. In a recent national study, 18.5 percent of students who took the course said they “almost always” set aside money for future needs and wants. When surveyed three months later, the number grew to 36.5 percent. The percentage of students who said they “almost always” set goals for managing money increased from nine percent to 24 percent. Forty-two percent of students said they knew the difference between needs and wants prior to the course while three months later the number rose to 80.5 percent. “Through both the answers to evaluation survey questions and their own words, teens throughout the United States have reported they not only have learned about personal finance by studying the HSFPP, but many have changed their spending and saving behavior,” says Sharon M. Danes, professor at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service. “They are more confident about managing their finances in the future.” North Dakota schools that have participated in the program are:
Contact NEFE director John Parfrey at (303) 224-3516 or jp@nefe.org, or state representative Debb Pankow at (701) 231-8593 or dpankow@ndsuext.nodak.edu to bring the program to your school or community. Visit the NEFE Web site at www.nefe.org for more information. ### Source:
Debb Pankow (701) 231-8593, dpankow@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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North Dakota State University |
