What North Carolina requires
North Carolina's answer is direct: covered students must pass one credit of Economics and Personal Finance to graduate. Session Law 2019-82 applies the statutory full-credit rule to students entering grade 9 in 2020-21; the current State Board graduation tables separately continue EPF among the four required social studies credits for students entering in 2021-22, 2026-27, and later.[1][3]
The requirement is a dedicated combined course, not a pure personal finance semester and not a general integration rule. For the 2020-21 entering cohort, General Statutes section 115C-81.65 calls for a full-credit course focused solely on Economics and Personal Finance. The State Board standards address economics as well as income, education, money and credit management, financial planning, and critical consumerism.[2][4]
The law also specifies content that must be included in the course standards: the true cost of credit, choosing and managing a credit card, borrowing for a vehicle or home, credit reports and scores, and paying for postsecondary education through financial aid and other resources.[1][2]
Two 2025 proposals did not change the current requirement: Senate Bill 393 would have added gambling-cost instruction, while House Bill 415 would have codified the existing four-course social studies sequence. Both remained in Senate committee as of the end of the 2025-26 session.[5][6]
- Grades / placement
- Grades 9-12
- Responsible agency
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
- Assessment required
- Not located
- Evidence
- 6 primary sources
Implementation timeline
- Milestone 01
Session Law 2019-82 created the full-credit Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement.[1]
- Milestone 02
The requirement began with students entering grade 9.[1]
- Milestone 03
The State Board of Education adopted the current EPF standards.[4]
- Milestone 04
The current EPF standards were implemented beginning in fall 2021.[4]
- Milestone 05
Senate Bill 393 and House Bill 415 remained unenacted; neither changed the EPF graduation requirement or standards.[5]
North Carolina personal finance standards
The complete list below contains all 12 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.
North Carolina Standard Course of Study: Economics and Personal Finance
Adopted by North Carolina State Board of Education on 2021-02-04.
Open the official documentEconomics
The complete economics strand covers markets, government and institutions, stabilization policy, and international interdependence.
- 01
Economies and markets
Understand economies, markets, and the role economic factors play in making economic decisions.[4]
- 02
Stabilization policy
Analyze the role of government and economic institutions in developing and implementing economic stabilization policies in the United States.[4]
- 03
Government in a market economy
Understand the role of government in a market economy, including property rights, contracts, regulation, taxes, fees, goods, and services.[4]
- 04
Economic interdependence
Understand factors of economic interdependence and their impact on nations, including trade and North Carolina's place in national and world economies.[4]
Income and education
This strand connects education, career choices, income, lifestyle, postsecondary costs, payroll deductions, and taxes.
- 01
Education, income, career, and lifestyle
Analyze relationships among education, income, career, desired lifestyle, postsecondary costs, financing strategies, and types of income.[4]
- 02
Taxes and income
Understand the purpose and function of taxes and their impact on income, including payroll deductions and federal, state, and local tax forms.[4]
Money and credit management
This strand covers budgets, housing decisions, financial institutions, payments, borrowing, debt, insurance, and estate planning.
- 01
Money management
Understand money-management skills and strategies, including spending plans and the costs and benefits of renting, leasing, owning, and different mortgages.[4]
- 02
Financial institutions
Understand the purposes and services of financial institutions, interest and fees, and cash, debit, payment applications, and credit-card transactions.[4]
- 03
Informed financial decisions
Understand concepts that support effective resource planning, including credit sources, creditworthiness, debt, insurance, and estate planning.[4]
Financial planning
The financial-planning strand addresses saving, investing, taxes, wealth building, and community giving.
- 01
Saving and investing
Understand the value and planning processes associated with saving and investing, including strategies, tax implications, planning factors, and philanthropy.[4]
Critical consumerism
The consumer strand covers informed choices, advertising and social media, consumer information, protection laws, fraud, and deceptive practices.
- 01
Consumer decisions
Understand factors associated with consumer decision-making, including advertising, social media, business practices, information, reviews, reports, and economic effects.[4]
- 02
Consumer rights and responsibilities
Understand buyer and seller rights and responsibilities under consumer-protection laws and ways to recognize and avoid fraud and deceptive practices.[4]
Relevant law, rule, or board action
N.C.G.S. § 115C-81.65
Financial literacyPublishes both the generally applicable financial-literacy instruction text and the full-credit, passing-grade EPF text applicable to students entering grade 9 in 2020-21.[2]
Session Law 2019-82
Economics and Personal Finance ActEstablishes the entering-grade-nine cohort and applies the course requirement to public school units including charter, regional, and laboratory schools.[1]
Notes for teachers and curriculum leaders
- Schedule one full credit of EPF for students who entered grade 9 in 2020-21 or later and ensure the student earns a passing grade. Use the current State Board graduation tables for cohorts after 2020-21 rather than extending the session law's one-cohort applicability clause.[1][2][3]
- Use all five strands of the State Board standards; the statutory course is broader than a personal-finance-only class because economics is part of the same required credit.[2][4]
- Include the credit, loan, credit-report, and postsecondary-financing topics named directly in the statute when building the local curriculum.[2]
Official sources
- 1Session Law 2019-82Locator: Sections 2(a)-(b), 4(a)-(d), and 7Supports: full-credit course, passing grade, 2020-21 grade-nine cohort, covered public school units, effective date
- 2N.C.G.S. § 115C-81.65 Financial literacyLocator: Subsections (a)-(c), including both applicability notes for subsection (b)Supports: general instruction, 2020-21 full-credit course, course focus, consumer topics, passing-grade condition
- 3High School Graduation RequirementsLocator: Future-Ready and Occupational Course of Study tables for 2020-21, 2021-22 and beyond, and 2026-27 and beyondSupports: 22-credit total, one EPF social studies credit, later cohorts, occupational course pathway
- 4Economics and Personal Finance Standard Course of StudyLocator: Social Studies Standards > Economics and Personal Finance; EPF.E.1 through EPF.CC.2; linked standards document states Approved February 4, 2021Supports: complete current course standards, five strands, approval date, fall 2021 implementation
- 5Senate Bill 393: Betting and Addiction in Personal Finance CourseLocator: Bill history and last actionSupports: proposed gambling-cost topic, unenacted status
- 6House Bill 415: Modify Math and Social Studies Graduation RequirementsLocator: Second edition and bill history; last action May 8, 2025Supports: proposed codification of four social studies credits, EPF retained, unenacted status
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina require a personal finance course to graduate?
Yes. Students entering grade 9 in 2020-21 or later must earn a passing grade in one full credit of Economics and Personal Finance.[1][3]
Is North Carolina's requirement a stand-alone course?
It is a dedicated combined EPF course. The statute calls for a full-credit course focused solely on Economics and Personal Finance, so it is not a personal-finance-only semester and is not satisfied by broadly embedding financial literacy in unrelated courses.[2]
How many credits of financial literacy does North Carolina require?
One full credit in the combined Economics and Personal Finance course, counted among the four required social studies credits.[2][3]
What credit topics must North Carolina EPF cover?
The statute names the true cost of credit, credit-card selection and management, borrowing for vehicles and homes, credit reports and scores, and postsecondary financing. The standards add budgeting, taxes, insurance, investing, consumer protection, and broader economics.[2][4]
Which North Carolina students are covered?
Session Law 2019-82 applies the statutory full-credit rule to students entering grade 9 in 2020-21 and extends the financial-literacy requirement to local school administrative units, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools. Current State Board graduation requirements continue EPF for later entering cohorts.[1][3]
Which graduating class was first covered in North Carolina?
The official sources use the entering-grade-nine cohort, not a graduating-class label. They begin with students entering grade 9 in 2020-21, so this record does not substitute an inferred class year.[1][3]