What used to be Computer Literacy is now Financial Tech, but with a little twist. The concepts and lessons of the classes have changed so they are able to help prepare students more for the future.

“Computer lit taught the Microsoft Office package, which was just manipulating data on random subjects. Financial tech does the same thing, but it is centered around applicable concepts like getting a job and the use in life finances so it prepares them a lot more,” teacher Kelly Parsons said.

Not only the class name differs now, but the availability to all grade levels has been limited as well. Starting next fall the class will be offered to juniors and seniors only.

“The class wasn’t very relevant to underclassmen and too rigorous to most of them, and what I mean by relevant is it’s about credit awareness and budgeting and taking out a loan which is valuable information for the state and how the economy is going. But it’s harder for the younger kids to understand the importance.  They don’t get it,” Parsons said.

Great Falls High School adopted the upperclassmen rule last year.

 “We’re a year behind them, but so far it’s worked very well for them, so we’re hoping it goes the same for us,” Parsons said.

Even though seniors are not really affected by the switch, senior Maggie Rittel said she wishes the rules would have applied when they took the class.

“I took the class when I was a sophomore so all I really wanted to do was get the credit and be done with it. I didn’t figure out the true meaning of the class because I was so young. It didn’t really benefit me in the end,” she said.

Because she didn’t take away what she needed from the class as a sophomore, Rittel said that reserving Financial Tech for upperclassmen will benefit the participants.

“I think it’s beneficial,” Rittel said. “It’s [going to] help the students get a better outlook on life.”