High School Students Master Personal Finance Thanks to H&R Block
February 15 2017 - 6:00AM
Seventy-five percent of teens say learning more about money
management is one of their top priorities and the H&R Block
Budget Challenge is helping teens do just that in classrooms
nationwide. Through this program, thousands of teens are preparing
for the financial trials of adult life, and this month H&R
Block awarded $100,000 in scholarships to acknowledge the exemplary
budgeting, saving and investing skills of five students from the
fall 2016 Budget Challenge.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f08b9141-2016-47a0-8ec2-f30ec2ef1168
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df5135fc-adee-4ebc-a216-7b379b9e1944
Studies show money is one of the biggest stressors for
Americans, and many people don’t feel confident managing their
finances. The H&R Block Budget Challenge gives students the
opportunity to learn with and compete against students from all 50
states for scholarships in a game-like environment. During the
10-week program, students pay bills, manage expenses, save money,
invest in retirement and pay taxes as if they were recent college
graduates.
Alexa Brutus and Trey Hawkins of Bradenton, Fla.; Billy Balfour
of St. Clair, Mich.; and Micah Bong and Saad Khawajal of Sugar
Land, Texas, each earned $20,000 scholarships for being the most
“real-world ready” of more than 73,000 students learning and
competing in the fall Budget Challenge.
“Strong money management skills can make such a difference when
new graduates head out in the real world, but funding for personal
finance courses in high school can be scarce” said Kathy
Collins, chief marketing officer of H&R Block. “We’re
proud to offer the H&R Block Budget Challenge free to teachers
and students nationwide to help teens learn these important
financial skills before they start earning on their own.”
Real-World Experience
Winner Billy Balfour was taught about personal finance growing
up, but he says it didn’t click for him until he participated in
the H&R Block Budget Challenge.
“Learning about personal finance was a huge priority for me.
Even though I grew up talking about budgeting with my parents, it
never really made sense to me until I had to do it myself,” said
Balfour.
Balfour’s teacher Amanda Volz of St. Clair, Mich., has taught
personal finance using the H&R Block Budget Challenge for three
years and has found the program to be rewarding year after year for
her students.
“The Budget Challenge gives my students excellent hands-on
experience they can’t get from a textbook,” said Volz. “They walk
away from this program knowing how banking, insurance and budgeting
works in adulthood, which is invaluable.”
Legacy of Learning The H&R Block Budget
Challenge is part of H&R Block Dollars & Sense, an
initiative that has helped more than 1 million teens become more
real-world ready by giving them the knowledge they need to manage
their money.
This year, over 3,500 high schools received free H&R Block
Budget Challenge curriculum. Since starting the Budget Challenge
three years ago, more than 450,000 high schoolers have benefitted,
more than $6 million in scholarships and prizes have been awarded
and five additional national winners will be announced in May.
To learn more visit www.HRBDS.org.
Editor’s Note: Current winners and former participants –
including students and teachers – are available to share their
personal experiences with the H&R Budget Challenge.
About H&R Block Dollars & Sense
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) is a global consumer tax services
provider. Tax return preparation services are provided by
professional tax preparers in approximately 12,000 company-owned
and franchise retail tax offices worldwide, and through H&R
Block tax software products for the DIY consumer. H&R Block
Dollars & Sense is committed to increasing teens’ financial
fitness by providing practical financial skills and has helped more
than 1 million teens become more real-world ready. For more
information, visit the H&R Block
Newsroom, www.HRBDS.org or follow H&R Block
on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
About ProperLiving
Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, ProperLiving, LLC owns and
operates the Budget Challenge Personal Finance Simulation, which
received a U.S. Patent in May 2013.
For Further Information
Gene King, 816-854-4287, mediadesk@hrblock.com
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