We recently wrapped up Economic Education Month, which celebrates and promotes economic literacy education and financial decision-making skills among students and the public. Florida had a special reason to celebrate this year: soon, all Florida high school students will receive classroom instruction about how to pay for the costs of college.
As FCAN reported in its 2025 Florida Legislative Session Recap, the Florida Legislature recently passed a bill that embeds FAFSA instruction in the high school financial literacy curriculum—a required course for high school graduation. In addition to learning how to complete the FAFSA, students will also learn about the costs of a college education and ways to pay for college and career school, including scholarships, grants, and student loans. The bill was championed by sponsors Representative Dana Trabulsy (R-Fort Pierce), Senator Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami), the Florida House of Representatives Student Academic Success Subcommittee, and the House Education and Employment Committee.
Classroom instruction on the FAFSA and other resources to pay for college is going to be a game-changer for Florida students. As FCAN previously reported, Florida high school students miss out on over $300 million in Pell grants each year by not filling out the FAFSA. Many high school students who aspire to attend college see cost as a barrier to continuing their educations after high school, yet currently don’t have sufficient knowledge about the resources available to them. With the passage of this new law, that will soon change.
The new instruction requirement will also benefit Florida as a whole. As the Helios Education Foundation reports, expanding Florida college enrollment by just 10% would result in economic gains to the state of $8.38 billion each year, and increasing college degree completions by 20% would result in gains of $7.59 billion. As Florida’s rapidly-evolving economy demands more highly-skilled workers, it becomes more critical for students to pursue and complete degrees and credentials that prepare them for careers in high-demand fields.
Implementation of the FAFSA instruction requirement is underway – students taking the financial literacy course this year are learning about FAFSA, and FCAN is working with organizations such as the Florida Council on Economic Education and its regional centers to support development of appropriate curricula meeting the new state standard. FCAN’s suite of College Ready Florida initiatives, and Florida FAFSA Challenge toolkit, are additionally available for educators across the state as instructional supports.
Understanding the costs of college and the financial resources available to help pay for college is essential for high school students as they plan for the future. FCAN looks forward to working with the Florida Department of Education, Florida Council on Economic Education, and other groups to ensure that all high school students get the guidance, instruction, and support they need to finance their postsecondary educations.