Teen Students Push New Jersey to Teach Money Skills

Three high‑schoolers from Monmouth County are asking state lawmakers to make money classes a graduation requirement. They want students to learn about banking, taxes, and investing for at least one semester or trimester. The kids—Ansh Patel, Noah Baretz and Avi Rao—are part of a school finance club that studies the stock market. Their campus has a “Finance Lab” with real‑time ticker data on walls and computers. They say other New Jersey schools lack such hands‑on lessons. On March 2, the trio testified before the Senate Education Committee in Trenton. They argued that without basic financial knowledge, young adults will struggle to save or invest after college. The bill they support, S‑3462, is sponsored by several state senators and would add a compulsory finance course to the high‑school curriculum.The students began their campaign after teaching budgeting classes at a local Boys & Girls Club. While leading the sessions, they noticed many children had little grasp of saving or distinguishing needs from wants. “It’s a problem that can be fixed, ” said Patel, who lives in Freehold Township. New Jersey is one of only fifteen states without a statewide financial literacy requirement. Current offerings focus mainly on economics or entrepreneurship, not practical money management. Baretz from Atlantic Highlands explained that financial gaps affect students of all income levels. He said many classmates misuse money, and a formal course could correct that. The school’s head of education praised the initiative. He noted that the students’ work also ties into civics and government studies, highlighting their civic engagement. The bill will next appear before the Senate Budget Committee. The students say they are ready to keep pushing for its approval.