12 Finance Programs for High School Students in Florida
If you are a high school student interested in finance, structured programs can help you explore the subject and learn about future opportunities in the field. These experiences combine financial learning with mentorship from instructors and professionals, allowing you to explore topics like investing, entrepreneurship, and money management. Additionally, you can prepare yourself for careers in finance and banking, gain insights from industry experts, and have opportunities to begin building your professional network.
Why should you participate in a high school finance program in Florida?
Florida is home to leading universities, investment firms, and financial organizations that create a strong environment for finance-focused learning. These institutions host programs designed to help you explore financial markets, economic policy, and business management through guided instruction and collaborative projects. Whether you are a Florida resident or visiting from out of state, the state offers a variety of opportunities to develop your skills and learn from industry professionals.
With that, here are 12 finance programs for high school students in Florida!
If you are looking for internships in Florida, check out our blog here.
1. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Location: Multiple locations across the country, including Florida, + a trip to Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: Free; Paid
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: 8-week summer internship
Application Deadline: October 14 – January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in good academic standing. More details here
As a participant in the Bank of America Student Leaders Program, you will get the chance to do hands-on work for a nonprofit organization in your area. Once selected, you will learn some of the important aspects of managing a nonprofit while engaging in community service initiatives and building a clearer understanding of social issues. Over the course, you will also develop essential social and business leadership skills. The program also includes a one-week Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., where you will get insights into the collaborative efforts of the government, business, and non-profit sectors to address critical community needs.
2. Veritas Deep Dive: AI + Finance
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies according to the cohort
Eligibility: High school students who have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have prior Python experience
Given the increasing prominence of AI, participating in the Veritas AI program, founded and organized by Harvard alumni, may be a valuable opportunity. The Veritas AI Deep Dive: AI + Finance teaches you how to apply artificial intelligence in the financial field through lectures and code walkthroughs. You will also work on real projects, where you combine past financial data with AI and ML models to forecast future financial patterns, stock prices, and more. You can find more information about the program in its brochure and its application form.
3. INVESTed
Location: Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; $50 gift card
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: November 8 (tentative)
Application Deadline: October 27 (tentative)
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 2.0
Whether you plan to become a finance professional or you just want to have enough knowledge to properly manage your personal finances, this program will help you achieve your goal. You will get to participate in group discussions with experts from the business and finance industries, who are there to offer insightful tips. Additionally, as a participant, you can also expect to receive mentorship and guidance on your career path.
4. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Finance Track
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; Full financial aid available
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Various cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is an intensive program catered towards high school students interested in writing a research paper on a subject of their liking. It offers you the opportunity to conduct research in various subject tracks, including finance and related ones like economics and business. Based on your chosen subject, you will be paired with a Ph.D. mentor who will monitor you in writing an independent research paper over the 12-week program period. You can find additional details about the application here, as well as students’ reviews of the program here and here.
5. NAF’s Academy of Finance
Location: Multiple high schools in Florida (find academy here)
Cost/Stipend: Free; Stipends offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Vary by the academy
Application Deadline: Varies by the academy
Eligibility: High school students
With a syllabus that combines career-oriented and work-based learning, the Academy of Finance is a program that prepares you for future careers in finance and related fields. NAF will cover subjects like finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, and so on that are considered valuable by industry experts and the job market. Your schedule will also include participating in a range of activities like business design projects and competitions, internships, mentorship, financial literacy programs, and more. The Academy of Finance is typically a four-year program, but the course length may vary by the host school.
6. Addition Financial's High School Branch Program
Location: Multiple schools in Orange County, FL, Seminole County, FL, and Osceola County, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; Stipends offered
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Accepted all year-round
Eligibility: High school students attending one of the participating schools (full list here)
Addition Financial organizes this program to teach and simultaneously give you practice in managing earnings. As a participant, you will receive a debit card and access to educational tools like blogs, podcasts, online calculators, and more that help you make informed decisions about spending and saving. The program also gives you the chance to gain hands-on experience working at a financial institution. During the summer, you get to participate in a summer internship, where you’ll get to earn a stipend working as a bank teller at your school or taking up a summer internship at an Addition Financial branch.
7. VyStar’s High School Branch Program
Location: Select high schools in Northeast Florida (see list here)
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Runs throughout the year
Application Deadline: Accepted all year round
Eligibility: High school students in schools where the program is available
VyStar’s High School Branch Program is an educational initiative designed to teach you about maintaining good credit, saving money, and other essential personal financial skills. It provides an opportunity to understand the importance of developing money management skills at a young age. Through this program, you will learn more about loans, credit cards, budgeting, and investment accounts. You will also pick up skills that can be helpful in the future if you choose a career in banking, finance, or another related field.
8. USF Tampa’s Bulls Finance
Location: Muma College of Business, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Cost: $750 + additional residential costs
Cohort Size: Maximum 60 students
Dates: June 22 – 26
Application Deadline: Opens on February 1
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
The Bulls Finance program is a five-day camp that allows you to explore concepts in finance, fintech, and investing. The course is taught by industry experts and professors from the university and gives you the chance to gain a practical understanding of the field through hands-on projects. Ultimately, the goal is to equip you with the financial literacy that allows you to make financially sound decisions. The camp also assists you in determining the right career path if you decide to pursue a career in finance.
9. Columbia University Pre-College Program: Foundations of FinTech
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Non-refundable application fee of $80 + $3,965 for the program (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Multiple sessions in the summer
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders
The Foundations of FinTech is another finance-focused pre-college summer program offered by Columbia University. During this course, you will learn to assess, critique, and design FinTech applications. You will understand the significant impact that technology has on the finance sector while preparing yourself for job roles in banking, asset management, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, you will also familiarize yourself with concepts such as mobile payments, trading algorithms, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, robo-advisors, and AI in finance through case studies and simulations.
10. Cornell Summer/Winter Online Program: Financial Accounting
Location: Virtual
Cost: $5,820
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multiple cohorts and sessions in the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Rising 11th-12th graders between the ages of 15 and 19
Cornell University offers the opportunity to attend its undergraduate-level classes to students interested in exploring the finance field. The Financial Accounting course is specifically tailored for non-business majors, offering a clearer understanding of the four primary financial statements prepared by organizations. This includes the income statement, balance sheet, statement of shareholders' equity, and statement of cash flows. You will also learn how to monitor if an organization is in good financial standing.
12. Columbia University Pre-College Program: Entrepreneurial Finance and New Venture Management
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Non-refundable application fee of $80 + $3,965 for the program (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Multiple 2-week sessions in the summer
Application Deadline: April 2
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders
The Entrepreneurial Finance and New Venture Management course is a two-week program that provides you with the basic knowledge of entrepreneurial finance and the skills required to run a venture. You will learn to come up with new business ideas, design prototypes for them, and locate financial sources for them. You will also learn how a fundraiser works and how to create an impressive deck that attracts investment for your venture. Some of the other major concepts you will cover in the program include financing options like bootstrapping, angel investors, venture capital, crowdfunding, accelerators, and entrepreneurial finance fundamentals like valuation, term sheets, SAFE/convertible notes.
13. George University College Credit Research Project: Finance
Location: Online
Cost: $3,995 (need-based scholarship available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Multi-length sessions available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by session
Eligibility: Students who are at least 13 years old
During the George University College Credit Research Project: Finance, you will have the opportunity to dive deep into the finance sector by coming up with a research question and writing an academic paper on your chosen finance-related topic. Through the program, you will receive guidance from a TA and will get to develop strong research skills. You’ll also become familiar with topics like financial markets, valuation methods, portfolio construction, and blockchain. By the end of the program, you will have drafted a portfolio-worthy research paper and will be expected to present your research findings. You’ll also get to earn three college credits from Georgetown University.
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