Find financial literacy activities
Find activities that can help you teach and nurture the building blocks of financial capability across the curriculum.
These classroom activities can be completed within a single class period. Each activity comes with a teacher guide and supporting student material, so it’s easy to implement whether you’re an experienced personal finance teacher, integrating financial literacy into another subject area, or supplementing your existing financial education curriculum.
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Understanding how much student debt you can afford
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students calculate how much they can afford in monthly student loan payments based on what their salary might be after graduating from college or another post-secondary institution.
Using a student loan calculator
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students use a student loan calculator to calculate monthly loan payments and how much they can save on total loan costs by paying a little extra each month.
Communicating ways to pay for higher education
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students research ways to pay for their higher education and create a brochure to record their findings.
Comparing financial aid offers
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students compare college costs and financial aid offers for three schools and explore how the choices they make can have a financial impact down the road.
Choosing a student loan that’s right for you
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast federal and private student loans to help them find the one best suited for their needs.
Comparing higher education choices
Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students explore higher education options by comparing similarities and differences between two colleges near where they live.
Saving for post-secondary education
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students use an online compound interest calculator to explore the value of saving money over time for future education goals.
Learning how federal financial aid can help you pay for higher education
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
After watching a video describing basic types of federal financial aid, students answer content-based questions about financial planning for college.
Talking with your family about paying for higher education
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Through Internet research, students build their awareness of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study options and then share their findings with a parent or guardian.
Creating a presentation on 529 plans
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students conduct Internet research on 529 plans and create a digital slide presentation to inform others about how these plans can help people save for future education costs.