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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Personal Finance focuses on the fundamentals of personal finance, income, spending, saving and investing, risk and insurance, and credit, with a goal of developing individuals who can manage their personal finances. Personal finance is also known as personal financial literacy and financial literacy.

    Every educator, regardless of grade level or content area, can help prepare our young people to navigate the increasingly complex financial marketplace and make informed decisions about their money. The Pennsylvania Department of Education is committed to having every student in Pennsylvania graduate as an active and engaged citizen with knowledge and skills to be gainfully employed and make intelligent financial decisions for the future of Pennsylvania and the nation. Academic Standards for Personal Finance go into effect on July 1, 2026 along with a legislative requirement that all school entities and nonpublic school provide a mandatory high school course of at least one-half credit. The Department offers a Personal Finance Toolkit with detailed information regarding the standards and high school course on the Standards Aligned System. Questions regarding the standards and mandatory course may be directed to ra-edpersonalfinance@pa.gov.

    Academic Standards for Personal Finance

    Pennsylvania Academic Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at specific points in time. The standards increase in complexity and sophistication as students' progress through school. The academic standards serve as a framework from which districts develop their specific curriculum.

    The State Board of Education approved new Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Personal Finance along with updates to Chapter 4 which require instruction aligned to the new standards. The new standards go into effect on July 1, 2026.

    The Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Personal Finance are organized by grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and are organized in the following areas:

    • Personal Finance Fundamentals
    • Income
    • Spending
    • Saving & Investing
    • Risk & Insurance
    • Credit

    Mandatory High School Course

    Effective with the 2026-2027 school year, all Pennsylvania schools will be required to implement a mandatory personal finance course students must complete during grades nine through twelve. This requirement is a result of Act 35 of 2023 which amended Section 1551 of the Public School Code of 1949 (Act 35). In addition, Act 91 of 2019 amended Section 1605 of the Public School Code of 1949 (Act 91), allowing students to apply credit earned in a personal finance course to other areas.

    The Department’s Personal Finance Toolkit provides detailed guidance on the mandatory course, including information on timing, content, and more.  

    Certification

    Certification and Staffing Policy G​uidelines (CSPG) that pertain to economic education/financial literacy certification, and course assignment include:

    Questions regarding certification requirements should be directed to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality.

    Resources for Educators

    The Department’s Personal Finance Toolkit provides resources for educators, including guidance on the mandatory course, information about the standards, frequently asked questions and more. Educators can also join the Personal Finance Learning Community for access to additional resources and information. A Standards Aligned System (SAS) account is required to join. To create one, follow the Creating a SAS Account directions.