Financial Literacy
Financial Literacy
Understanding the Basics
The Ho-Chunk Nation Financial Literacy Program will provide an online introduction to financial topics that will better prepare Ho-Chunk enrolled juniors, graduating seniors, and those and those enrolled members who have not yet received their their trust funds for a successful financial future. Through a proactive approach, the Ho-Chunk Nation Financial Literacy Program will work to empower our enrolled members to make knowledgeable choices with their finances as adults.
New Changes
The Ho-Chunk Nation Financial Literacy Program is pleased to announce important updates for the award-winning program to help better align the program with state standards.
New Courses to Be Added in 2026
Starting on January 1, 2026 we will be adding three new courses on the following topics:
- Money Explained: From Coins to Crypto - This course covers topics such as how money and currencies work. it also explains the time value of money and how interest works. it discusses cryptocurrency and mobile payments.
- Managing Your Debt - This new course covers how to think about large purchases, including how to research purchase before making them and the many ways we pay for them. It also covers the concepts of opportunity cost and cost-benefit analysis to help evaluate such purchases.
- Making a Major Purchase - The course covers how to think about large purchase, including how to research purchase before making them and the many ways we pay for them. It also covers the concepts of opportunity cost and cost-benefit analysis to help evaluate such purchases.
With the addition of the three new courses, starting in 2026 students will be expected to complete a total of 17 courses. The 2025 program had only 14 courses.
Other Important Updates
In addition to the new courses, we have also added important updates to the existing courses including new topics such as:
- Financial Psychology and Your Financial Well-Being
- Types of Student Loans and Repayment Options
- Job Skills and Employment Options
- Types of Employment Agreements
- How Trustworthy is Digital Banking?
- Manage Your Digital Footprint
- How to Protect Your Passwords
- How Much Insurance Do You Need?
What do the New Changes Mean for Ho-Chunk Youth?
- In order to complete the program in 2025, Ho-Chunk youth will be required to complete all of the 14 existing courses and a final exam based on those courses by no later than 12/31/25.
- Anyone who has not completed the entire program by 1/1/26 will be required to complete a total of 17 courses and the exam based on those courses.
Aligning the Program with State Standards
- The new content being made available in 2026 is designed to meet or exceed state standards with the goal that students may petition their school or school district to potentially receive 1/2 credit toward high school graduation requirements.
- The final decision on whether or not the 2026 program will count toward high school graduation for each individual Ho-Chunk youth will be determined by your local school district.
- Should you wish to petition your school to receive high school graduation credit, the Ho-Chunk Nation Education Department and its vendor (iGrad) will do all that we can to help support that effort.