Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A measure a local lawmaker helped sponsor to make sure Michigan children are taught personal finance skills is headed to the governor for consideration as a new state law.

The plan adds a personal finance course to the required curriculum for Michigan high school students.

Republican State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton Township said Michigan teens should have a well-rounded education that includes information about how to handle their personal finances. She commented that young people are faced with financial decisions at just 17 or 18 years old that can have long-lasting ramifications.

Bollin says they need to make sure future generations are equipped with the knowledge they need to budget, do their taxes, handle decisions about debt, and plan for the future.

House Bill 5190 is sponsored by Republican State Representative Diana Farrington of Utica. It requires course credit in personal finance to finish high school, beginning with students entering eighth grade in 2023. It adds a half-credit requirement while reducing the foreign language requirement from two to one-and-a-half credits.

The measure received bi-partisan support in the House and Senate.