MU announces partnership in statewide financial planning challenge

The Missouri Personal Finance Challenge for Missouri high schoolers is a collaboration between the Missouri Council on Economic Education and the University of Missouri

March 7th, 2019

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Today, the Missouri Council on Economic Education and the University of Missouri Center for Economic and Financial Education announced the launch of a newly revamped program for high school students focused on financial planning and economic vibrancy.

The Missouri Personal Finance Challenge is a statewide, online competition for high school students to test their personal finance acumen. Students respond to real life economic situations using the knowledge and information gained as part of the Missouri personal finance course requirement.

“Hosting this event is a great opportunity for MU to engage with top high school students and their personal finance teachers on campus,” said Graham McCaulley, assistant professor and co-director of the MU Center for Economic and Financial Education. “We look forward to connecting the students to Missouri financial professionals who will help serve as competition judges, providing feedback grounded in industry experiences.”

Free for students, the finance challenge offers an opportunity to compete for scholarships and participate in the National Personal Finance Challenge as representatives of Missouri.  In 2018, more than 1,100 students from 143 high schools across Missouri participated and the Missouri Council on Economic Education hopes this new partnership MU will expand the program and increase participation.

Missouri is one of six states nationwide that requires a stand-alone personal finance before high school graduation.

“We are extremely excited about the rejuvenated program and look forward to serving students and teachers across the state,” said Garrett Webb, executive director of the Missouri Council on Economic Education.  “Programs like the financial challenge help us fulfill our mission to create an economically vibrant and financially literate workforce for Missouri, one student at a time.”

For more information, or to register as a team, please visit the Missouri Council on Economic Education.

The MU Center for Economic and Financial Education is in the Department of Personal Financial Planning in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.