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Maryland personal finance standards and requirements

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Maryland requires every local school system to provide a personal financial literacy instructional program in the elementary, middle, and high school years, aligned to six state standards. The statewide rule does not require a separate personal finance course, a uniform credit, or completion of a financial literacy course for graduation. Local systems decide whether to embed the content across existing subjects, offer stand-alone classes, or add a local graduation requirement. Cross-filed 2026 bills proposing a statewide half-credit stand-alone course for the Class of 2030 did not enact and are not current law.[1][2][3][6][7]

Last reviewed September 20, 2026

View official sources
Stand-alone course
No
Graduation requirement
No
Credit / duration
Not located
Effective / cohort
2011-12 statewide implementation

What Maryland requires

Maryland's statewide policy is an instructional-program requirement rather than a diploma-credit mandate. COMAR 13A.04.06 directs each local school system to provide personal financial literacy programming in the elementary, middle, and high school years and to include all six state content standards in local curriculum documents.[1][2]

Delivery remains local. The state framework says the standards may be embedded across existing courses or taught in stand-alone offerings, and local boards may add their own graduation requirement. The statewide regulation itself does not assign credit, require a semester course, or name a graduating class that must complete one.[1][3]

The current Maryland personal financial literacy standards address responsible decision-making, careers and income, money management, credit and debt, saving and investing, and risk management. The 2016 framework publishes expectations through grade 12 and remains the current final framework during this review.[3][2]

Maryland is revising the framework. In August 2026, MSDE opened public comment on eight proposed standards, but the agency expressly states that the draft is not final. Cross-filed Senate Bill 592 and House Bill 943 proposed a stand-alone half-credit graduation course beginning with the Class of 2030; both remained in their original committees after hearings and did not enact, so neither changes current requirements.[5][6][7]

Local systems must include the six standards in their curriculum and provide an instructional program across elementary, middle, and high school. They may embed the content or offer stand-alone courses; statewide regulations require opportunity to participate but do not prescribe a high-school credit or course-completion requirement.[1][2][3]
Grades / placement
Grades 3-12, Elementary, middle, and high school learning years
Responsible agency
Maryland State Department of Education
Assessment required
Not located
Evidence
7 primary sources

Implementation timeline

  1. Milestone 01

    The State Board unanimously accepted the Maryland State Curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy Education.[4]

  2. Milestone 02

    COMAR 13A.04.06 took effect, establishing the statewide instructional-program requirement.[1]

  3. Milestone 03

    Local education agencies were required to offer aligned grades 3-12 financial literacy programming.[2]

  4. Milestone 04

    MSDE published the current revised standards framework.[3]

  5. Milestone 05

    MSDE opened public comment on eight proposed replacement standards; the draft was not final at this review.[5]

Maryland personal finance standards

The complete list below contains all 6 required personal finance topics currently identified in the controlling state materials. Each topic remains separate so educators and search engines can find the exact requirement.

Official standards document

The Maryland State Curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy Education

Adopted by Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland State Department of Education on 2010-01-26.

Open the official document

Maryland personal financial literacy standards through grade 12

Local curricula must include all six standards. The framework supplies grade-band indicators and objectives for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

  1. 01
    Standard 1By the end of grade 12PDF pages 7-8

    Make informed, financially responsible decisions

    Evaluate financial choices using available resources, needs, wants, opportunity costs, obligations, public-policy effects, personal goals, and responsible decision-making processes.[3]

  2. 02
    Standard 2By the end of grade 12PDF pages 8-9

    Relate careers, education, and income

    Connect interests, education and training, career paths, income sources, gross and net pay, postsecondary costs, debt, and repayment obligations to long-term choices.[3]

  3. 03
    Standard 3By the end of grade 12PDF pages 9-10

    Plan and manage money

    Set financial goals, prepare spending plans, compare financial institutions and services, use account records, understand taxes, and analyze contractual rights and responsibilities.[3]

  4. 04
    Standard 4By the end of grade 12PDF pages 10-12

    Manage credit and debt

    Build and maintain credit, evaluate when debt helps or harms, compare borrowing products and interest costs, identify predatory lending, and analyze credit reports and scores.[3]

  5. 05
    Standard 5By the end of grade 12PDF pages 12-13

    Create and build wealth

    Develop short- and long-term savings plans, apply compounding and asset-allocation concepts, distinguish saving from investing, and select products aligned to financial goals.[3]

  6. 06
    Standard 6By the end of grade 12PDF pages 13-14

    Manage risks and preserve wealth

    Evaluate risks to income and assets, use insurance and legal protections, recognize fraud and identity theft, protect private information, and identify consumer-assistance resources.[3]

Relevant law, rule, or board action

COMAR 13A.04.06.01-.02

Program of Instruction in Personal Financial Literacy

Requires local systems to provide elementary, middle, and high school financial literacy programs, include six standards in local curricula, and periodically certify compliance.[1]

SB 592 / HB 943 (2026, not enacted)

State Board of Education - Financial Literacy - Graduation Requirement

Proposed, but did not enact, a semester-long stand-alone course and at least one-half credit beginning with the Class of 2030.[6]

Notes for teachers and curriculum leaders

  • Local curriculum documents must include all six COMAR standards and align with the state framework across elementary, middle, and high school learning years.[1][3]
  • Do not describe Maryland as having a statewide financial literacy graduation credit. A district may create a local stand-alone course or graduation rule, but those local choices are not statewide requirements.[3][6]
  • Continue using the 2016 framework until the eight standards released for public comment in 2026 are formally adopted and an implementation date is established.[5][3]

Official sources

  1. 1
    COMAR 13A.04.06: Program of Instruction in Personal Financial LiteracyMaryland State Board of Education · regulation · published 2010-07-26 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Chapter 06, Regulations .01-.02Supports: instructional-program requirement, elementary-middle-high school coverage, six standards, local curriculum documents, student opportunity, certification
  2. 2
    Financial Literacy Education StandardsMaryland State Department of Education · agency guidance · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Grades 3-12 program statement and Standards 1-6Supports: September 2011 implementation, grades 3-12, six current standards
  3. 3
    The Maryland State Curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy EducationMaryland State Department of Education · standards · published 2016 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Program and delivery guidance, PDF pages 5-7; grade-12 expectations, PDF pages 7-14Supports: complete current standards, grade-band indicators, embedded delivery, stand-alone local option, no statewide graduation requirement
  4. 4
    COMAR 13A.04.06.01-.02, Program of Instruction in Personal Financial LiteracyMaryland State Board of Education · board action · published 2010-06-22 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Board item pages 1-2, Background and RecommendationSupports: January 26, 2010 Board acceptance, unanimous vote, COMAR adoption process
  5. 5
    Personal Financial Literacy Standards 2026-2027Maryland State Department of Education · agency guidance · published 2026-08-11 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Draft Standards for Public Feedback and final-status noticeSupports: proposed eight-standard revision, public comment through October 16, 2026, not-final status
  6. 6
    SB 592: State Board of Education - Financial Literacy - Graduation RequirementMaryland General Assembly · bill · published 2026-02-05 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Status, synopsis, cross-file, and legislative historySupports: unenacted proposal, proposed Class of 2030, proposed semester stand-alone course, committee-only action
  7. 7
    HB 943: State Board of Education - Financial Literacy - Graduation RequirementMaryland General Assembly · bill · published 2026-02-05 · accessed 2026-09-20Locator: Status, synopsis, cross-file, and legislative historySupports: unenacted cross-file, proposed Class of 2030, proposed semester stand-alone course, committee-only action

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Read how state requirements are researched and classified

Frequently asked questions

Does Maryland require financial literacy instruction?

Yes. Every local school system must provide a personal financial literacy program across the elementary, middle, and high school years and include all six state standards in local curricula.[1][2]

Does Maryland require a personal finance course to graduate?

No statewide course or credit is currently required. Local boards may establish their own course or graduation requirement, but the statewide rule permits embedded instruction.[1][3]

Can Maryland schools integrate financial literacy into other subjects?

Yes. The state framework was designed for content to be embedded across the curriculum, while also allowing local stand-alone courses in areas such as economics, business, social studies, or family and consumer sciences.[3]

What do Maryland's financial literacy standards cover?

The six current standards cover responsible decisions, careers and income, money management, credit and debt, saving and investing, and risk management with wealth protection.[3][2]

Did Maryland adopt a new half-credit course for the Class of 2030?

No. SB 592 and HB 943 proposed that change in 2026, but the bills remained in their original committees and did not become current law. The proposed eight-standard framework was also still a draft under public review.[6][7][5]