SALEM, Ore. — Oregon high school students will begin receiving personal finance education statewide this fall under a new graduation requirement designed to give students practical skills for managing money, debt and investments.
Beginning with the class of 2027, Oregon students will graduate with instruction covering topics including credit and debt, banking, saving and investing, budgeting and money management, taxes and refunds, and maintaining financial well-being.
The requirement restores a financial education mandate that was eliminated in the 1990s. The Legislature approved the legislation with bipartisan support in 2023.
“Your financial situation can have a significant impact on your overall wellbeing,” Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner said. “A foundational understanding of personal finance, including budgeting, investing, and debt can help people make better decisions and build financial health that lasts a lifetime.”
The Oregon Department of Education has worked with teachers and financial education experts since the legislation passed to establish curriculum standards and compile instructional materials.
“An Oregon diploma should prepare students not only for what comes next in the classroom, but for the decisions they will make throughout their lives,” Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams said.
Williams said personal finance education can help students develop the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions and prepare for adulthood.
The new requirement comes as more states across the country expand financial literacy education in high schools. Oregon officials say the goal is to ensure students have access to practical financial information regardless of where they attend school.
About 95% of Oregon’s 197 school districts are expected to offer the new curriculum as the 2026-27 school year begins.
The law allows school districts to petition for a one-year delay. Students in districts granted a delay will begin receiving the required instruction in fall 2027.
Steiner, who serves as Oregon’s constitutional financial officer, was among the sponsors of the legislation as a state senator in 2023.
Educators who have previously taught personal finance say the coursework can have a lasting impact on students.
Marcia Latta, a business educator at McKay High School in Salem and Oregon’s 2026 Financial Educator of the Year, has taught personal finance as an elective and said she has seen its benefits firsthand.
“Understanding money is empowering. There is so much to learn to be able to make money work for you, instead of against you,” Latta said. “Expanding practical financial knowledge for all students is the right thing to do.”
As Oregon’s chief financial officer, Steiner oversees state programs focused on financial well-being, including banking, debt management, investments and savings programs.
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