Starting this fall, Oregon high school students will receive personal finance education as part of a new statewide graduation requirement, with the first affected class graduating in 2027.

Oregon Students Set to Graduate With Practical Financial Skills

The real-world finance skill requirement- restored through bipartisan legislation passed in 2023- aims to give students practical skills for managing money and navigating the financial challenges of adulthood.

The Oregon Department of Education has worked with teachers and financial education experts to develop curriculum standards and instructional materials.

The requirement revives financial education that Oregon eliminated in the 1990s, bringing practical money skills back into the state’s high schools.

Students will learn about credit and debt, banking, saving and investing, budgeting and money management, taxes and refunds, and maintaining financial well-being.

Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner said understanding personal finance can help people make better financial decisions and build lasting financial health.

The new curriculum will be offered in 95% of Oregon’s 197 school districts this school year. Districts can request a one-year delay, meaning students in those districts will begin the program in fall 2027.

Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams said the goal is to ensure diplomas prepare students not only for further education but also for the financial decisions they will face throughout their lives.