LANSING – Today State Sen. Glenn S. Anderson helped to pass Senate Bill 834, which will allow financial literacy courses to count toward high school graduation requirements. The bill was passed with unanimous bipartisan support.

“This bill is especially important right now, when high school students are seeing the financial hardships their parents are facing,” said Sen. Anderson. “Young people need opportunities to learn to make smart financial decisions before being faced with these challenges themselves.”

In order to receive a high school diploma, students are required to successfully complete at least four credits in math, including Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Senate Bill 834 would add Financial Literacy to the courses allowed to fulfill the fourth credit requirement.

“When they leave high school, students will face a complex financial world filled with scams, endless access to credit cards, housing foreclosure issues and rising debt,” Anderson said. “They need to learn how to navigate these pitfalls early and be given the tools to help them deal with these issues responsibly.”

After today’s vote, the bill now advances to the House for consideration.

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