Ohio

What the state requires

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.

The detail, every line cited

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.education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW EMIS Manual §4.7 (subject codes) and §4.2 (course master); ORC §3313.603(C)(9)(a)

Credit value

one-half unitcodes.ohio.gov

Full citation

Ohio Revised Code §3313.603(C)(9)

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.codes.ohio.gov

Full citation

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 The grade 7/8 financial-literacy instruction requirement was REPEALED effective Oct 24, 2024.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.education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW, Financial Literacy in the Middle Grades

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).education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW, Ohio's State Tests overview

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.codes.ohio.gov

Full citation

ORC §3319.238(F), §3319.239; OAC 3301-24-30

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)education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW EMIS Manual §4.7 Subject Codes and §4.2 Course Master; ODEW does NOT publish a closed list of qualifying six-digit codes — the CN210/GC060 FIN flag is the mechanism of record

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)education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW, Ohio's Learning Standards for Financial Literacy, High School, July 2025 revision (announced Ed Connection July 22, 2025), with companion Model Curriculum; ODEW publishes an official 2018-to-2025 crosswalk

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.education.ohio.gov

Full citation

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.education.ohio.gov

Full citation

ODEW Financial Literacy Requirements FAQs

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.

See the platformThe one-page brief for Ohio