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America Forward recently submitted formal comments in response to the Financial Literacy and Education Commission’s (FLEC) request for input as the FLEC updates the U.S. National Strategy for Financial Literacy. Drawing on the work of America Forward Coalition members across K–12 education, postsecondary student success, and workforce development, we offered three recommendations:

• Prioritize federal investment in K–12 financial literacy. With 30 states now guaranteeing standalone personal finance courses — up from just 11 in 2021, in large part due to the advocacy of leading organization Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) — momentum is strong, but federal support has not kept pace. America Forward urged FLEC to direct resources through Title IV-A of ESEA, invest in teacher preparation and professional development, and provide technical assistance to states and districts implementing new requirements.
• Deepen investment in postsecondary financial literacy. Evidence shows that light-touch information tools alone rarely shift student behavior — intensive, relationship-based advising is often essential. Coalition members Beyond 12, College Possible, College Advising Corps, and uAspire are leading the way with AI-enabled, human-centered models that help students navigate financial aid, program selection, and degree completion. We also highlighted the persistent funding gap for nonprofit student success providers leading this work, as documented in our 2025 report with the National College Attainment Network. In addition, America Forward called for federal action on financial aid offer letter transparency, including passage of the uAspire-championed Understanding the True Cost of College Act. 
• Invest in financial literacy as a component of evidence-based workforce development. Financial literacy is foundational to high-quality workforce programs, yet it remains under-supported in key federal streams like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). We highlighted terrific work by Coalition members NPower, Per Scholas, LISC, and LIFT that embeds financial literacy in their high-impact workforce programs. America Forward called on FLEC to partner with the Departments of Labor, Agriculture, and Commerce to better support financial literacy delivery across federally funded workforce programs.

Read America Forward’s full response to the FLEC RFI here.