Lenape student receives $20,000 scholarship as winner of H&R Block Budget Challenge

Ian Wasserman, a student at Lenape High School, has been awarded a $20,000 scholarship through the H&R Block Budget Challenge, a teen financial literacy program that rewards high school students and classes for mastering real-world budgeting and personal finance decision-making. Wasserman is one of 66 winners nationwide.

The learn-by-doing educational approach of the H&R Block Budget Challenge allows students to experience activities like paying bills, managing expenses, saving money, investing in retirement, paying taxes and more in the safety of a classroom. The program was created to help address the need for more financial education in the classroom. Only 7 percent of high school students are financially literate and fewer than 30 percent of adults report being offered financial education at school or college. The state of New Jersey currently does require a one-semester course in financial education to graduate.

“We’re proud of Ian to be among the top-performing students in the country for the H&R Block Budget Challenge,” said teacher Debbie Hodulik. “Financial literacy is important to the future success of our students and we’re thrilled there’s such a hands-on platform through which they can learn.”

The H&R Block Budget Challenge is free to high school teachers and home school educators. Participants play classroom against classroom and student against student, competing for $3 million in grants, scholarships and cash prizes in the 2014–15 school year. Three simulations will launch this spring and teacher registration is open at HRBDS.org.

For more information on the H&R Block Budget Challenge, visit hrbds.org.