MIAMI, Florida (Achieve3000, February 15, 2010). More high schools now have a class in personal finance. Some students want to take the class. Others must take it. Their schools say so. In 2007, 9 states made students take the class. In 2009, 15 states said this. Some say students must take it to finish high school. Thirteen states have this rule. In 2007, only 7 had it.

What do students learn in this class? They learn about spending money. Saving money, too. They learn about home loans. They learn about debt. They learn what is good about it. They learn what is bad about it.

In most schools, personal finance is part of another subject. Why is this? The schools may not have the money for the class. Or the time. Why not? Other subjects are tested. Those subjects get more teaching time.

Information for this story came from AP.