High School Financial Literacy Resources
Standards
Standards implemented include requirements for financial literacy and inquiry skills. Inquiry skills equip students for college, career, and civic life. You can read the standards at the links below.
The Stock Market Game
This unique game is used by thousands of students nationwide each year. Students participate in teams to research and evaluate stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to make informed economic decisions. Competitions are held each Fall and Spring. There are also connections to Common Core with the extension program, InvestWrite. For Stock Market Game participants, InvestWrite is a writing competition on investment-related topics. It is entirely FREE for a class to participate. In addition, there are many online resources and a dedicated staffer to help answer all your questions. Explore below to learn more:
Illinois Personal Finance Challenge
Illinois State Finals 2026
We are excited to host an in-person event for the Illinois State Finals and award Bright Start 529 college savings scholarships to the first-place and second-place teams. Each winning team member will receive:
- 1st Place: $1,500 scholarship – Naperville Central High School
- 2nd Place: $1,000 scholarship – Neuqua Valley High School
The in-person event was held at our historic Marine Bank building in Springfield on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. The Illinois State Finals competition consisted of a real-world case study round and a quiz bowl round.
National Personal Finance Challenge Finals 2026
National Finals offers cash prizes to nationally ranking teams. Each winning team member will receive:
- 1st Place: $2,000
- 2nd Place: $1,000
- 3rd Place: $500
- 4th Place: $250
Get ready for the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge 2027
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is proud to present the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge (IPFC). The IPFC is a fun and motivating team competition that gives students the opportunity to become financially savvy and demonstrate their money management skills.
- High school teams in Illinois can showcase their expertise in earning income, managing spending and saving, managing credit, investing, and managing risk through online exams offered during the fall and spring testing windows. All teachers will be able to access their students’ scores.
- One team of 3-4 high school students with one teacher will qualify to represent Illinois at the National Personal Finance Challenge by winning the Illinois State Finals.
- Registration is FREE, and practice tests and resources are available online for all teams.
- Check out the teacher toolkit with lessons and activities for the six personal finance subjects.
How It Works
- Teacher Registration: High school teachers must register at least one team of three to four students. There is no limit to the number of teams a teacher may sponsor, and multiple teachers from the same school are welcome to participate. Teachers who have participated before may sign in using their existing login information.
- Online Exam: Students begin the competition by completing the first round online during the designated testing window.
- Illinois State Finals: Top-performing teams advance to the Illinois State Finals, held in person in Springfield, Illinois.
- National Finals: The team that wins the Illinois State Finals moves on to represent Illinois at the National Finals at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.
Additional Resources
Explore the links below to find lesson plans, assessments, and more.
- Council for Economic Education
- Next Gen Personal Finance
- Financial Literacy for Education Success
- Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
If you have any questions, contact Maggie Owen at mowen@illinoistreasurer.gov.