Class of 2010 in Ohio Getting Personal Finance Class

Starting with the class of 2010 all high school students in Ohio will be required to take a personal finance class. As an Ohioan and someone who has learned the hard way about how to deal with student loans all I can say is, “Bout damn time.” Learning the basics about personal finance can’t come early enough as noted by Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray.

It’s a fact of life for many students at Bowling Green State University and other schools. They’re in debt.

Last year alone, BGSU students borrowed $129 million to attend school. Their debt worries don’t end here. Many are piling up bills they can’t pay on credit cards.

The solution: mandatory personal finance classes in high school. That’s going to happen in 2010, the result of a bill sponsored by Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray.

While I am sure some people will argue that the students may not take the classes seriously or pay enough attention to the material, if the classes help even a few students the time and money will be well worth it.

Cordray could kick the classes up a notch by adopting a “Scared Straight” approach, bringing in recent college grads from that specific school system to stress the need for learning about personal finance and the importance of owning your personal finance.  Someone buy Richard a drink for sponsoring this bill.

WTOL 11- Ohio high schools to include personal finance courses