Staff Editorial
Despite the high cost of education and the growing burden of student debt, financial education is often left out of college curriculum. A 2024 report by the National Financial Educators Council found that 76% of college students wish they had more help preparing for their financial future. For recent graduates navigating an increasingly complex economy, financial literacy is a necessary skill. Without comprehensive financial education, students are vulnerable to making poor financial decisions, which often yield long-term consequences. When redesigning the new core curriculum, USF should incorporate a financial literacy course that equips students with the skills needed for long-term financial stability.
The benefit of teaching financial literacy as part of a college curriculum is that students are taught and encouraged to practice healthy financial habits, which in turn can give students a better chance of obtaining financial success post graduation. According to Accounting Insights, a financial advising company, “Financial literacy fosters empowerment and independence” and students will have greater financial security if they budget, save and invest. This kind of education is especially critical for low-income and first-generation college students, who may not have access to financial guidance at home prior to attending college.
According to U.S. News & World Report, budgeting, student loan management, credit and taxes are among the top financial skills students want to learn while in college. Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to prepare students not just academically but also practically for life after graduation. This means helping students develop financial knowledge so that they are empowered to make informed decisions and plan for a stable future.
Students that are financially literate also promote more than just personal finance. According to the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, communities with stronger financial literacy experience greater long-term economic stability and lower poverty rates.
Still, many financial literacy programs suffer from inadequate course design and engagement. Along with inadequate course design comes the oversimplification of complex issues and lack of personalization. Financial literacy courses often focus on individual financial choices without addressing systemic factors that contribute to economic inequality, such as wage stagnation, healthcare costs and housing affordability, therefore overlooking the diverse financial situations of students and reducing the course’s applicability and impact for those students. Financial literacy is a skill that all Americans should have. It is a powerful tool that will benefit students for the rest of their lives and absolutely needs to be a part of USF’s Core Curriculum.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
