Career, College, and Early Finance

This unit prepares students to turn future goals into actionable plans by exploring education pathways, part-time work, and first-job decisions while strengthening day-to-day money management. Students learn budgeting, credit building, basic investing, consumer protection, tax filing as a teen, and how to evaluate job offers and education costs to support short- and mid-term financial goals.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and compare education and career pathways (community college, four-year college, internships, and entry-level work), estimating total costs and identifying programs or strategies to reduce education expenses
• Apply budgeting tools and paycheck deduction choices to create a realistic monthly budget that incorporates earnings from part-time jobs or internships, utility and housing estimates, and savings goals
• Demonstrate how to build and monitor credit responsibly, take action after identity theft or scams, and complete basic teen tax-filing steps and required documentation
• Evaluate basic investment strategies, insurance considerations (including disability), and job offer terms to produce a one-year financial action plan aligned with personal goals