2025 Fiscal Challenge Finals
Live in D.C. at the Marriott Capitol Hill
On April 11, 2025, six finalist teams from colleges and universities across the country convened in Washington, D.C., to compete in the Fiscal Challenge National Finals. Against the backdrop of the nation’s capital, these students presented original, data-driven proposals addressing the United States’ long-term fiscal outlook—engaging directly with the types of challenges real policymakers face.
This year marked one of our most competitive seasons to date, with 25 registered teams and 18 submitting first-round proposals. After a rigorous review process, six teams were selected to advance to the Finals and present before a distinguished panel of judges representing a range of leading fiscal policy organizations. Each team showcased strong technical analysis, clear communication, and an admirable commitment to fiscal responsibility and civic engagement.
The 2025 finalist cohort included
The Finals also featured a keynote address by Jason Fichtner, Chief Economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and a dynamic networking event that connected students with professionals from top policy organizations, including the CBO, CRFB, PGPF, AAF, Third Way, PPI, and more.
📸 Explore the full photo gallery: View the 2025 Finals Gallery
Photography by Imagine Photography
Want to be on this list next year?
If you’re a student or educator interested in fiscal policy, economics, or public service—and want to take on real-world challenges alongside your peers—we’d love to have you join us for next year’s competition.
📬 Subscribe now to get notified when 2026 registration opens.
2025 Season Recap
The Fiscal Challenge brings together the country’s most talented undergraduate economic and policy minds for a high-stakes test of economic analysis, quantitative reasoning, and fiscal forecasting. In an era of record-breaking deficits and shifting global trends, these students aren’t just presenting ideas—they’re modeling the future.
What does America’s fiscal path look like over the next 30 years?
What are the economic consequences of different fiscal scenarios?
How should policymakers weigh debt sustainability against economic growth?
These are the questions our students tackle as they present their data-driven findings before a panel of top economic and fiscal experts. For members of the press, policy analysts, and anyone interested in the future of America’s fiscal health, this is the event to watch.
2024-2025 Competition Timeline
📅 Registration & Proposal Development: October 2024 – February 3, 2025
📩 First Round Proposals Due: March 11, 2025 | 18 Teams Submitted, Over 120 Undergraduates Participated
📅 Finals Held: Friday, April 11, 2025 | Top 6 Teams Traveled to D.C.
📍 Location: Washington Marriott Capitol Hill, 175 L St NE, Washington, DC 20002
What Happened This Season
The 2025 competition season kicked off in late fall with student teams from across the country registering to take on the nation’s fiscal future. Open to undergraduate students from all majors, the Fiscal Challenge invited participants to step into the role of economic advisors—using real data, policy analysis, and budget modeling to craft proposals for stabilizing the U.S. long-term debt trajectory.
Teams spent several months developing their proposals. Many sought mentorship from faculty advisors and tapped into institutional research resources. This year, we also introduced a new initiative: virtual office hours hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), giving students the opportunity to get real-time guidance from policy professionals during the research phase.
By the March 11 First-Round deadline, 18 teams (120+ students) submitted 20-minute video presentation proposals.
These were blind-reviewed by our first-round judges:
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Lukas Althoff, Fiscal Challenge alum and Assistant Professor of Economics at Stanford
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Mike Aguilar, Founder of the Fiscal Challenge and Teaching Professor of Economics at Duke University
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Universities that Submitted to the 2024-2025 First-Round
| Bridge Valley Community & Technical College | City College of San Francisco |
| Holy Cross College | Minerva University* |
| Mount Holyoke College | Muskingum University* |
| Nassau Community College | Northeastern University |
| Northwestern University | Pace University* |
| University of Austin* | University of California, Los Angeles* |
| University of California, Riverside | University of Chicago |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities |
| University of North Carolina, Wilmington | University of Notre Dame* |
| University of Wisconsin–Madison |
*Finalist
2025 Finalists
Six teams advanced to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., where they delivered 15-minute presentations followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with our expert judging panel.
🥇 University of Notre Dame – National Champions
🥈 Minerva University – First Runner-Up
🥉 Muskingum University – Second Runner-Up
🎓 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Finalist
🎓 Pace University – Finalist
🎓 University of Austin – Finalist
Each team exemplified the power of undergraduate innovation, rigorous analysis, and civic-minded policymaking.
Final Round Judges:
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Christi Hawley Anthony – Congressional Budget Office
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Wendy Edelberg – Brookings Institution
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Kurt Couchman – Americans for Prosperity
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Zach Moller – Third Way
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🎥 Watch the full presentations on our YouTube channel: @TheFiscalChallenge.
Networking & Press Opportunities
At the Finals, students participated in a structured networking event with representatives from:
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Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
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Peter G. Peterson Foundation (PGPF)
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Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB)
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Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)
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The Concord Coalition
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American Action Forum (AAF)
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Third Way
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Cato Institute
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Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)
- Volcker Alliance
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Millennial Debt Foundation
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Several students also had the opportunity to record segments for Facing the Future, The Concord Coalition’s podcast, and connect with William Glass of the Millennial Debt Foundation for interviews and commentary.
Photo Credits: All event photography courtesy of Imagine Photography.
Press Section // Student Publication Links
Where the Nation’s Brightest Minds Tackle America’s Fiscal Future
📅 Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
📍 Location: Washington Marriott Capitol Hill, 175 L St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Since 2012, we’ve gathered top students in D.C. to present their economic analyses to expert judges. This year, the six finalist teams will deliver rigorous economic modeling and fiscal forecasting to assess the long-term impact of national debt, taxation, and spending trends. Rather than focusing on policy proposals, they will analyze trade-offs, evaluate fiscal trends, and project future debt sustainability.
First-round proposals are due March 11, 2025, and finalists will be announced the following week. Stay tuned!
What to Expect at the Fiscal Challenge Finals
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- Future economists in action. These students are applying advanced economic models and real-world data to explore pressing fiscal questions.
- Engaging discussions with top-tier economic analysts. Our judges are influential figures from leading policy and research institutions.
- A dynamic learning experience for all attendees. Whether you’re a student, professor, or journalist, you’ll gain valuable insights into fiscal sustainability and economic analysis.
- Exclusive networking opportunities. Connect with professionals from leading economic organizations and explore internship and career possibilities.
Meet the 2025 Judges & Guest Speakers
Our panel of judges brings decades of experience in economic research, fiscal forecasting, and data-driven policy evaluation:
Christi Hawley Anthony
Deputy Director, Budget Analysis Division, CBO; expert in federal budget policy.
Wendy Edelberg
Director of The Hamilton Project, Brookings Institution; former CBO Chief Economist.
Kurt Couchman
Senior Fellow, Fiscal Policy, Americans for Prosperity
Zach Moller
Director at Third Way; focuses on federal budgeting, tax policy, and economic growth.
Jason Fichtner
Chief Economist at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), Jason specializes in Social Security, tax policy, and federal budget issues.
Phil Smith
National Field Director at The Concord Coalition, an experienced senior executive and civic leader.
Finals Weekend Schedule
Thurs
10
Teams Travel to D.C. & Check In
Details will be emailed to teams.
Friday
11
7:45am – 8:15am
Student Registration & Welcome Breakfast
Fiscal Challenge Staff | Location: Burnham Meeting Room
8:30am – 12:10pm
Team presentations & Judge Q&A
Phil Smith, Emcee | Location: Burnham Meeting Room
12:10pm – 1:00pm
Lunch and Judges’ Deliberation
Location: Burnham Meeting Room
1:05pm – 1:50pm
Keynote Speaker
Jason Fichtner, Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Structured Networking Event: Explore Career & Research Opportunities
A joint initiative of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution that provides independent analyses of tax policies and their economic effects.
A nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to promoting responsible fiscal policy and long-term budget sustainability.
A libertarian think tank advocating for limited government, free markets, and reduced federal spending.
A nonpartisan think tank dedicated to fostering bipartisan solutions to key economic and fiscal policy challenges.
Focused on raising awareness about America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promoting sustainable solutions.
A center-right policy institute researching economic growth, fiscal policy, and regulatory reform.
A center-left think tank that advocates for modern economic solutions balancing fiscal responsibility with economic opportunity. Third Way focuses on middle-class prosperity, deficit reduction, workforce development, and innovative economic policies that work across partisan divides.
A federal agency that provides independent, nonpartisan analysis of economic and budgetary issues to support Congress in making informed fiscal policy decisions.
4:00pm – 4:45pm
Award Ceremony – Presented by the Peter G. Peterson Fundation
Jeff Holland
4:45pm – 5:45pm
Light Reception
Location: Burnham Foyer
Saturday
12
11:00am
Hotel checkout time
Consider visiting some of the many free national museums and monuments before you travel home!
Attendees
