Financial Education Program for LAUSD Students To Expand

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles Unified School District high school students were in line for expanded financial education opportunities Friday under a three-year, $1.3 million investment from City National Bank.

The investment will expand access to City National's Dollars + Sense financial education program through Everfi, along with educator training, workforce readiness experiences and scholarship opportunities, according to the bank.

Everfi provides digital and classroom-based personal finance and life- skills education programs to schools and other organizations.

California will require a semester-long personal finance course for graduation beginning with the Class of 2031. The requirement goes into effect in the 2027-28 school year, City National said.

"Financial education is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in the communities we serve," Howard Hammond, president and CEO of City National Bank, said. "For the last eight years, City National's Dollars + Sense program has helped Los Angeles Unified students build the knowledge, confidence, experiences and resources they need to make informed decisions about their futures. As financial education becomes an essential part of every student's educational journey, we remain committed to supporting opportunities that prepare young people for success in school, careers and life."

Everfi is providing LAUSD schools with personal finance resources aligned with California's 13 required topics, including budgeting, credit, investing, taxes and long-term planning. The resources include digital courses, classroom activities, lesson plans, discussion guides, assessments and student capstone projects, officials said.

Everfi is also providing professional learning for teachers ahead of a 2026-27 pilot phase and full rollout, according to the bank.

Since 2018, City National has supported financial literacy initiatives in LAUSD high schools through Dollars + Sense, with Everfi providing curriculum and implementation support.

During the 2025-26 school year, 137 schools used Everfi financial education resources, with 17,212 students participating in financial literacy programs and more than 43,714 hours of financial education completed, according to City National. More than 800 educators participated in district-aligned financial literacy training.

The bank reported that participating students' confidence in budgeting increased from 77% to 84%, confidence in evaluating consumer purchases rose from 79% to 86%, and confidence in maintaining good credit increased from 75% to 84%.

"City National and LAUSD have shown what is possible when schools, community partners and educators make financial education a priority," Everfi CEO Ray Martinez said. "California's new requirement underscores the importance of this work, but LAUSD has long been leading the way. This continued investment will help more students graduate with the knowledge and confidence to navigate important financial decisions throughout their lives."

"LAUSD has long recognized financial literacy as an essential life skill," LAUSD Superintendent Andres Chait said. "Our goal is to ensure every student graduates with the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions."

City National employees will also participate in career panels, classroom programs and financial literacy events during the school year. The bank said it will provide scholarships to LAUSD students over the next three academic years, but did not specify the number or value of the scholarships.

City National has supported the Dollars + Sense program in LAUSD schools for more than eight years. The Los Angeles-based bank is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada.

Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.