learnfinancewithOhio
One-half unit of instruction in financial literacy is required to graduate; chartered nonpublic (ISACS-type) schools are exempt unless the student is on a state scholarship (ORC §3313.603(C)(9)(b)).
Students entering ninth grade on or after July 1, 2022 — the class of 2026 onward. Already operative: the first cohort graduated spring 2026.
In force — first bound the class of 2026.
- How it may be delivered
- EITHER. Standalone (EMIS 153001 Financial Literacy or 031500 Personal Finance) OR embedded in 150308 Government and Economics (the EMIS manual requires the financial-literacy content be taught with economics). AP Micro/Macroeconomics also satisfies (statutory pathway). The half unit is taken in lieu of 0.5 math or as an elective, at the student's election.
Source: ODEW EMIS Manual §4.7 (subject codes) and §4.2 (course master); ORC §3313.603(C)(9)(a)
- Instructional-hour rule
- 60 hours minimum. "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of course instruction (ORC §3313.603(A)); the ledger counts observed instructional minutes against that minimum. Alternatives: the AP Micro/Macro pathway, and ORC §3313.603(O) lets local policy excuse students completing an equivalent bank or credit-union student-branch program.
Source: Ohio Revised Code §3313.603(A) (definition of one-half unit); ODEW Financial Literacy FAQs
- Below high school
- NONE required. The grade 7/8 financial-literacy instruction requirement was REPEALED effective Oct 24, 2024. K-8 standards exist (K-3, 4-6, Middle Grades bands) but are encouragement only; no grade checkpoint. EMIS CN210 allows high-school credit earned at middle school.
- State-mandated assessment
- NONE for students. Ohio's EOC tests are ELA II, Algebra I, Geometry (or Integrated Math I/II), Biology, American History, and American Government — no financial-literacy test. The only financial-literacy exam in Ohio law is for educators (OAE 059).
- Who may teach it
- Beginning 2024-25 the educator must hold a financial-literacy license validation (ORC §3319.238; OAC 3301-24-30: grades 7-12, district-approved training plus a passing score on OAE 059 Financial Literacy — training waivable by district agreement, the exam is not). EXEMPT with a grades 9-12 license/endorsement: social studies, family and consumer sciences, mathematics, business education; ODEW also treats CTE licensure aligned to business or FCS courses as covered. PD reimbursement: lesser of $500 or actual cost per teacher (ORC §3319.239). Informational only — districts assign teachers.
- State course codes
- EMIS 153001 — Financial Literacy (standalone, social studies; MEDIUM confidence) · EMIS 031500 — Personal Finance (standalone, business education; MEDIUM confidence) · EMIS 150308 — Government and Economics (embedded route; the only code whose printed note references the graduation requirement; HIGH confidence) · EMIS data elements CN210/GC060 = FIN — the authoritative flags marking credit applied to the requirement (HIGH confidence) · EMIS 159940/159930 + CN310=AP — the AP Micro/Macro pathway (MEDIUM confidence)
- Standards framework
- Ohio’s Learning Standards for Financial Literacy — High School (July 2025 revision: 7 topics, 26 content statements CS1–CS26, incl. the new Free Market Capitalism topic)
- Funding a district may cite
- (1) High School Financial Literacy Fund, ORC §121.086 (administered by ODEW). (2) Financial Literacy Educator PD Reimbursement, ORC §3319.239 — lesser of $500 or actual cost per teacher, paid June and December via foundation payment. (3) Perkins V only where routed through a Business/Finance program of study. (4) ORC §3313.603 expressly authorizes public-private partnerships and centers for economic education.
Source: ORC §121.086, §3319.239; ODEW licensure-validation reimbursement page
- State agency contact
- Functional mailboxes only, no named staff. Standards/content: Financial.Literacy@education.ohio.gov. Graduation: gradrequirements@education.ohio.gov. EMIS: EMIS@education.ohio.gov. Licensure: Educator.Licensure@SBOE.ohio.gov, (855) 983-4868.
Facts on this page last verified 2026-08-09; every pack is re-verified on a six-month cadence, and anything we cannot cite is marked rather than guessed.
The district awards the credit — no platform can. Ours is designed to align with the state’s learning standards, and it produces the documentation a district needs to award credit: the course object with its federal course code, a pass determination that shows its arithmetic, an hour ledger that counts only observed instructional minutes, and a verified record of demonstrated mastery for every student.