About Us
At BFF, we are dedicated to encouraging collaboration that results in high-quality financial education in Indiana. As shown on our research page, financial literacy has been linked to positive financial behavior. Indiana does not require a personal finance class, but Indiana Code Title 20. Education § 20-30-5-19 explains that:
Sec. 19 . (a) Each school corporation, charter school, and accredited nonpublic school shall include in its curriculum for all students in grades 6 through 12 instruction concerning personal financial responsibility.
(b) A school corporation, a charter school, and an accredited nonpublic school may meet the requirements of subsection (a) by:
(1) integrating, within its curriculum, instruction; or
(2) conducting a seminar;
that is designed to foster overall personal financial responsibility.
(c) The state board shall adopt a curriculum that ensures personal financial responsibility is taught:
(1) in a manner appropriate for each grade level; and
(2) as a separate subject or as units incorporated into appropriate subjects;
as determined by the state board.
As a state, Indiana is far ahead of its game. This provision is extensive, requiring finance education from sixth grade through twelfth. Indiana also requires an economics class, and all high schools in the state offer a personal finance class. However, economics class, while required in Indiana, often insufficiently prepares students to engage in financial decisions. There is also little evidence that the provision above is being fulfilled in an efficient and educationally fruitful manner. Furthermore, a mandatory personal finance class could ensure that everyone has access to an education that revolves around real world skills, which is especially imperative for low-income students, who often lack access to such resources.
To fill in these gaps, BFF was created. We believe that students in Indiana and other states are not sufficiently prepared to enter the worlds of budgeting, credit, and loan management among other things. We are primarily focused on holding events to expand financial literacy across the state. If you or your organization are personally interested in supporting us, please visit our contact page.
