Finance Classes for High School Students in Philadelphia

Ever since 2021, Philadelphia Financial Scholars has expanded access to financial training for high school students in the city to help prepare them for life. This type of program is hugely beneficial because it can help young students like your teen better understand proper investment skills and ensure that they know how to use their money more effectively. It also underlines the importance of financial literacy, especially in a city like Philadelphia that’s on the up and up.

That said, there are extra financial classes in Philly that can help your teen improve their economic skills even further and ensure that they’re good with their money. Many can even teach them about investing in the stock market and working in various FinTech industries and make it easier for them to jump into a college program to train for a high-quality career in finance. Here’s what you and your high school student need to know about these classes.

Why High School Students Should Learn Finance

Learning finance is a great way for high school students to transition to a variety of careers after graduating. For example, mastering budgeting, investing, and lending could help your teen tap into the blazing Philadelphia real estate market. Even if they don’t join this industry, they could use finance classes to prepare for the AP Finance exam that can help them get into better colleges. Most Philly universities prefer when students take placement exams like these.

More simply, a teen could learn basic finance skills (such as creating spreadsheets and balancing budgets) to prepare for a summer job or a part-time gig. For example, they can use the information from these classes to take the little money that they make at their job, balance it in their sheets, and use it to invest in vehicles, television, video game consoles, or other big purchases. These skills can help them become more mature in their spending.

In-Person Finance Classes in Philadelphia

Philly doesn’t necessarily have a ton of in-person finance classes available for high school students. However, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia supports financial literacy for high schoolers in the area by teaching lessons about how to budget carefully and properly plan investments. This group reaches out to various teachers across the school district to support in-school programs and after-school courses. The Philadelphia Association for Financial Professionals occasionally provides workshops. As a result, it’s more likely that your teen will get help in virtual finance classes. These courses are offered by multiple teams and provide benefits that can help your young one thrive financially.

Virtual Finance Classes

Online finance courses work well for Philly teens who don’t want to attend in-person classes or if you simply can’t find a class that makes sense for them. There are several training schools that provide excellent virtual programs that cover multiple finance topics, including basic skills in Excel all the way up to investing and FinTech. Here are two options from different schools that your teen may enjoy that can ensure that they get the help that they need to succeed.

Excel, Finance, & Investing Summer Program

NextGen Bootcamp provides high-quality live training that includes hands-on lessons from real professionals. Your teen will learn in a real-time classroom alongside other students their age in a class designed specifically for high school students. In the Excel, Finance, & Investing Summer Program, they’ll discover Excel, learn more about finance basics, and even dip their toes into stock market investment concepts, to prepare for a unique career in finance.

This class takes just 25 hours to complete and costs only $1,299 with NextGen Bootcamp’s early bird discount. Once you sign up, your teen will get sorted into a small class that features just a handful of other students to ensure that they get personal time with the professor. They’ll also work on real-world projects that they can use to build a portfolio. Then, they can use this portfolio to highlight their best work when seeking out finance jobs after completing college.

Excel Bootcamp

Noble Desktop is a trusted online training team that can provide excellent classes for Philly high school students. Courses like Excel Bootcamp have small class sizes, well-trained professors, support setting up your learning to minimize confusion, and a free retake if your teen needs it. In the Excel Bootcamp, they’ll learn all about this industry-leading software program, including how to use functions, set up formulas, create Pivot tables, and understand macros properly.

Note that this course integrates several classes such as Excel for Business Fundamentals and Intermediate Excel for Business. These programs help your teen advance their finance skills and can be taken (along with Advanced Excel for Business) to earn a completion certificate that proves their skills. This program costs just $549 and takes place over 18 hours and should be easy enough for even an easily distracted teen to finish properly.

How to Choose a Finance Class

Before you make the big investment to start a finance class for your teen, it’s important to do some research. There are a few different factors that you need to consider that can affect how well your high school student learns. Poorly picking a course could cause your teen to struggle to learn or even make them drop out of it early. A few things to consider here include:

• Cost: It’s not unusual for finance classes to cost thousands of dollars, so it’s important to make sure you can afford a class before signing up for a class. Note that some schools do accept financial aid, which can help you pay for your lessons over an extended period to decrease immediate costs.
• Duration: Some classes might take no more than 15 hours to complete, while others may be far more intensive and take days. It’s important to choose a class that fits your teen’s attention span, as it might be harder for some high school students to focus more than a few hours a day.
• Difficulty: Talk to each class’ instructor to see how difficult it might be for your child to understand its lessons. Some courses are naturally easier than others. Some might be suited more for advanced learning experiences. Be careful with what you pick to keep your teen happy.
• Age Range: If your teen is a senior, they’ll likely get bored by classes aimed at freshmen. Similarly, sophomores might get baffled by college-level programs. It’s best to choose classes that make the most sense for your child’s age to minimize confusion.
• Format: Online classes provide your teen with the ability to work from home on their courses, which means you don’t have to drive them to study every day. That said, in-person programs do provide many benefits, including the ability to learn in a more hands-on environment.
• Scope: Focus on finance classes that have the specific scope that your teen needs to thrive. For instance, there are courses about general financial planning, investing, and Excel that can help them master these skills and become more competent in handling economic demands.