The New York Council on Economic Education Endorses AP Business with Personal Finance as a High-Quality Pathway to Financial Literacy for New York Students

Leading state nonprofit highlights rigorous, standards-aligned course as a flexible, equity-minded option for districts implementing New York's personal finance education requirement

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New York Council on Economic Education announced its endorsement of the Advanced Placement (AP) Business with Personal Finance course, calling on school and district leaders across New York to consider the course as a rigorous, full-year option for delivering high school personal finance instruction. Doing so would help to raise academic standards for financial literacy education, expand student access to a more comprehensive learning experience for students who might otherwise receive only limited exposure to these concepts, and equip New York graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate financial decisions beyond the classroom.

"I’ve spent years pushing for a real personal finance requirement in this state, because without clear expectations, you can’t be sure every graduate is actually prepared," said Bryan Ousten, Business Teacher at Huntington High School and AP Business and Personal Finance Lead Consultant. "AP Business with Personal Finance finally gives us a course that is rigorous, standards-based, and accessible — something that can work for traditional AP students and for the kids who might never have seen themselves in an AP classroom before."

The New York Council on Economic Education is the state's leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing economic and financial literacy education. The organization supports the National Standards for Personal Financial Education, developed in partnership with the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Those standards define what students must know and be able to do to make sound financial decisions — covering budgeting, saving, credit, investing, risk management, and long-term financial planning — and serve as the national benchmark for quality personal finance instruction.

AP Business with Personal Finance meets that benchmark. The full-year course is explicitly designed to teach and assess those standards at a college level, situating personal finance concepts within broader business and economic contexts to deepen students' real-world application skills. Rather than give students simple exposure to financial topics, the course requires them to demonstrate mastery through coursework aligned to defined competencies and an externally developed AP exam.

Our endorsement rests on four pillars:

Standards-based integrity. AP Business with Personal Finance fully addresses the competencies outlined in the CEE/Jump$tart national standards, making it a principled and rigorous model for what financial literacy education in New York should look like.

Rigor that raises the bar. This course signals a commitment to substantive financial education — not just exposure to financial topics but demonstrated mastery through a college-level experience with an external assessment. As districts determine how to implement New York's personal finance education requirement in their schools, the course offers a ready-to-use pathway for delivering deeper learning and stronger student outcomes.

Meaningful financial education for all students. Expanding the pathways through which students can receive personal finance instruction gives districts, especially those with limited course offerings or competing graduation requirements, greater flexibility to deliver high-quality financial education within existing programs. Because the course uses project-based learning and is intentionally designed to be accessible to both traditional AP students and those who might not otherwise enroll in advanced courses, it can open doors for a broader range of students. No student should miss out on essential financial knowledge because of where they live or what courses their school happens to offer.

Expanding and diversifying enrollment in business and personal finance. Early implementation in New York has shown that AP Business with Personal Finance can both attract students who have never taken a business course and successfully support students who are new to AP. By offering a rigorous, hands-on course that speaks directly to students’ real lives, districts can strengthen their business programs, build parent and community support, and help more students explore whether business or finance might be a future pathway.

For New York's students, the stakes could not be higher. The state's new personal finance education requirement creates an important opportunity, but implementation decisions made at the local level will determine whether students receive brief exposure to financial concepts or a truly transformative learning experience. AP Business with Personal Finance offers districts a ready-to-use pathway for helping students build and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to become informed financial citizens.

With this endorsement, the New York Council on Economic Education encourages school and district leaders across the state to consider AP Business with Personal Finance as they strengthen implementation of personal finance education. When students have access to challenging, relevant coursework that reflects the financial realities they will face after graduation, we move closer to a future where every young person, regardless of ZIP code, has the tools to make informed financial decisions and pursue economic opportunity.