17 Oct Tackling Declining Financial Literacy in Australian Youth

A Free educational teaching course to tackle declining financial literacy rates in Australian children, has been launched.

Financial Basics Foundation has launched Cashed Up, a free suite of financial literacy courses designed for Australian high school students. Supported by Australian Retirement Trust, the program aims to address the growing concern over declining financial literacy among young Australians by equipping them with real-world financial skills essential for adulthood.

Although financial literacy appears in the national curriculum, inconsistent delivery across schools has left many students without the foundational knowledge they need. Cashed Up offers six online courses, accessible to all secondary schools, ensuring that every student, regardless of academic pathway, gains practical financial understanding.

Real-World Skills for Every Year Level

Cashed Up is designed to empower teachers with ready-to-use lessons that fit seamlessly into existing curriculums. The six modules cover essential topics for each stage of high school:

• Level Up Your Money Plan (Year 7): Goal-setting, decision-making, and understanding personal finance.
• Take Charge of Your Spending (Year 8): Exploring money attitudes and spending habits.
• Get Ready to Work (Year 9): Understanding different employment types and earning an income.
• Start Earning (Year 10): Navigating taxes, ethical spending, and workers’ rights.
• Build Some Wealth (Year 11): Planning for future financial decisions.
• Start Adulting (Senior Years): Budgeting, tenancy, buying a car, insurance, and independent living.

Preparing Teens for Long-Term Financial Success

Research shows that young Australians aged 15 to 24 exhibit some of the lowest levels of financial literacy, reinforcing the need for early financial education. Cashed Up provides students with tools to make informed financial decisions, laying the foundation for better long-term outcomes. CEO Katrina Samios emphasized that developing financial skills early equips young people to become capable and confident adults.

Empowering Teachers and Students Across Australia

Accessible to teachers across all subjects, Cashed Up offers practical financial education tools at no cost, ensuring broad access to financial literacy. The program builds on the Financial Basics Foundation’s two decades of promoting financial capability, with over 2,000 schools already engaging with their resources. Each year, more than 30,000 students participate in the Foundation’s ESSI Money game, which teaches essential money management skills such as earning, saving, spending, and investing wisely.

Cashed Up can be accessed here
Parents portal is here

The Financial Basics Foundation (FBF) is a trusted independent charity. We create financial literacy resources for Australian educators, young people, parents/carers and employers of young people. If you’re aged between 12 and 24 and want to learn about money or, you’re someone who cares for, or works with young people, FBF’s suite of resources, courses, tips and tools is for you!