Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a financial literacy program (FLP) recently implemented in Jordanian junior high and high schools as part of a national financial literacy agenda on students’ attitudes toward entrepreneurship relative to a control sample of students who had not yet participated in the FLP. This paper also examines the role of moderating variables, including students’ perception of teachers’ attitudes (TA) on students’ entrepreneurial attitudes. Design/methodology/approach Survey methodology was used to obtain data and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test hypotheses. Findings Results indicate that students who completed the FLP exhibited significantly higher entrepreneurial awareness than those that had not yet participated in the program. Students who took the entrepreneurship module of the FLP exhibited significantly lower entrepreneurial intention than those that had not yet taken the entrepreneurship module. However, TA did not impact students’ attitudes. Research limitations/implications The study examines a sample of middle and high school students in only one district in Amman, Jordan, and cannot be generalized to other communities where the FLP has been implemented. Practical implications The findings provide valuable insights for educators, policymakers and non-governmental organizations considering large scale, publicly funded FLPs as part of the K-12 educational system. Social implications Stakeholders should consider reforms to the implementation of entrepreneurship education as part of the FLP in Jordanian schools and other developing country K-12 programs. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the new Jordanian literacy program and the impact it has on attitudes toward entrepreneurship of middle and high school students.