Managing Money, Credit, and College

This unit deepens students’ practical money-management skills, focusing on budgeting, credit and debt management, and preparing for postsecondary financing choices. Students will evaluate financial products, complete college funding checklists (including FAFSA and work-study options), and practice consumer protection strategies to make informed short- and long-term financial decisions.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal income and expenses by comparing three budgeting methods and produce a three-month realistic budget simulation that allocates spending, saving, and investing for a given teen scenario
• Evaluate credit health by interpreting a credit report and score, comparing at least two real-world loan offers (including APR, term, and fees), and justifying the best borrowing option for a specified need
• Apply college and career financing tools by completing a FAFSA and college-preparation checklist, identifying at least two funding strategies (scholarships, work-study, grants, loans, or gap-year options), and proposing a feasible plan to finance postsecondary goals
• Demonstrate consumer protection and financial-product selection by comparing checking, savings, brokerage, and life-insurance offerings, identifying common online scams and mandatory paycheck deductions, and creating a prioritized debt-payoff plan (avalanche or snowball) for a sample debt profile