High School Graduation Requirements.

To qualify for a high school diploma, public school students must satisfy credit and subject area requirements established by the Legislature and the State Board of Education (SBE), fulfill any locally established requirements, complete a High School and Beyond Plan, and meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway option.

Financial Education—Learning Standards and Student Access.

In 2015 financial education learning standards developed by a national coalition for personal finance literacy were adopted in statute by reference as the state's financial education learning standards.  The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in accordance with its duty to develop state learning standards, adopted financial education learning standards in 2016 for all public school students.

School districts must provide all students in grades 9 through 12 with the opportunity to access the financial education learning standards, whether through classes, lunch periods, at home, or through other opportunities.  School districts also must publicize the availability of financial education opportunities to students and families, and are encouraged to grant credit toward high school graduation requirements to students who successfully complete financial education courses.

 
Financial Education Public-Private Partnership.
The 16-member Financial Education Public-Private Partnership (FEPPP), which is comprised of legislators, representatives of the financial services sector, teachers, and others, is charged with determining the best methods of equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need to make critical decisions regarding their personal finances.  In executing its charge, the FEPPP, subject to the availability of funding, is directed to perform numerous duties, including:

• communicating to school districts the financial education learning standards, other financial education skills and content knowledge, and strategies for expanding the provision of financial education instruction;
• working with the OSPI and the Professional Educator Standards Board to create professional development in financial education; and
• providing an annual report to the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Legislature.

Graduation and Instructional Offering Requirements. 

Beginning with the graduating class of 2031, each student must meet the high school state financial education learning standards to graduate from high school.  A waiver for this requirement may be issued by principals for individual students in grade 12 who have not been able to meet the graduation requirement because of previous residence outside the state.

Beginning in or before the 2027-28 school year, each school district must provide their high school students with instruction in the state financial education learning standards.  School districts, beginning no later than the 2027-28 school year, must also publicize the offering of financial education instruction, and the associated graduation requirement, to students and their parents or legal guardians.

The instructional offering and graduation requirement provisions apply to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools to the same extent as school districts.

Data Collection and Implementation Planning.

By December 15, 2025, school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools must submit the following to the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership (FEPPP):

• a list of courses and other learning opportunities offered on financial education for high school students in their school district during or prior to the 2024-25 school year, and the number of students served by those offerings; and
• a description of what the school district may need to ensure that students are able to meet the financial education graduation requirement.

The FEPPP must analyze the provided information and create a statewide implementation plan for the financial education graduation requirement.  The implementation plan—which must be submitted to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the SBE, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2026—may include recommendations for:

• additional funding for grants to integrate financial literacy education into professional development for certificated staff; and
• other school district resources in accordance with school district provided descriptions of what may be needed to ensure that students can meet the financial education graduation requirement.

Review and Reporting Requirements. 

The SBE must review and monitor financial education offerings of school districts to ensure compliance with applicable requirements.  The reviews and monitoring may be conducted concurrently with other oversight and monitoring actions of the SBE.

By January 10, 2029, the SBE must provide a summary of the collected monitoring information for school years 2027-28 and 2028-29 to the appropriate committees of the Legislature.

The SBE is also directed to recommend adjustments to graduation requirements and other education offerings to ensure that students have adequate opportunities to meet the financial education graduation requirement.  In developing recommendations, the SBE must:

• consult with the FEPPP, students, parents and legal guardians, educators, K-12 education partners, postsecondary partners, employers, and community members; and
• consider how to incorporate the financial education graduation requirement into the framework of graduation requirements, including consideration of credit options and competency-based options.

The recommendations of the SBE must be provided to the Governor and the education committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2026.