LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s state treasurer is calling on state lawmakers and educators to make financial literacy a required course for high school graduation in Nebraska.

State Treasurer Don Stenberg says dealing with personal finances “is something every high school graduate needs and will use throughout his or her lifetime.”

Stenberg made the remarks at a recent conference hosted by the Nebraska Bankers Association in LaVista.

Stenberg says that since 2013, more than 36,000 students in high schools and middle schools across Nebraska have participated in the Nebraska NEST Financial Scholars program. The program offers online courses for high school students and middle school students at no charge to the students, the schools, or the taxpayers.