New Florida Law Makes Financial Literacy Class a Requirement for High School Graduation

Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis takes questions from reporters at a press conference and signing of a new education bill in St. Petersburg, Fla, on March 15, 2022. The Florida Channel

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed into law a bill that makes it a graduation requirement for high school students to complete a course on financial literacy.

Under Senate Bill 1054 (pdf), which gained unanimous approval in Florida’s state Legislature, all public school students entering 9th grade in the 2023-2024 school year and thereafter will have to complete a half-credit course covering topics such as balancing a checkbook, managing bank accounts, applying for loans, filing federal and local taxes, and disputing a billing error.