Florida's Personal Finance Graduation Requirement: What Parents Should Know
By Imri Shifman, Founder of Babalata. Published October 23, 2026. Updated October 29, 2026.
The short answer
Florida students who entered grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year or later must earn one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management to earn a standard high school diploma 1. The course covers topics such as bank accounts, spending, credit, taxes, insurance, saving and investing, and paying for college 1. Everyday habits, such as pausing before a purchase, start long before high school, so families can practice them at home first.
Key takeaways
- The requirement is in Florida law, section 1003.4282(3)(h), and applies to students who entered grade 9 in 2023-2024 or later 1. It came from the 2022 Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act 2.
- The course has a long list of required topics, from bank accounts and credit scores to federal income taxes and student loans 1.
- Your child can practice the everyday side at home before high school: noticing money moments, waiting before buying, and saving toward a goal.
What does Florida's law require?
Section 1003.4282 of the Florida Statutes sets out what a student needs for a standard high school diploma. Paragraph (3)(h) says that each student entering grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year or later must earn one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management 1.
The requirement was created by Senate Bill 1054 of 2022, which may be cited as the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act and took effect on July 1, 2022 2. Governor Ron DeSantis signed it in March 2022, and news coverage at the time described students entering high school in 2023-2024 as the first group affected 3.
To make room for the course, the same act reduced the elective credits those students need from eight to seven and one-half 2.
Which students does it apply to?
It applies to students who started grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year or any later year 1. For a student who moves through high school in four years, that usually means the class of 2027 and every class after it. That last point is our arithmetic, not wording from the law.
If your child is in elementary or middle school today, the requirement will apply to them when they reach high school, unless the law changes. Check with your child's school for how your district schedules the course.
What does the course cover?
The law lists the topics the instruction must include 1. We grouped them in the table below. The wording is shortened, so read the statute for the exact text.
| Area | Topics in the law |
|---|---|
| Banking | Types of bank accounts, opening and managing an account, assessing a bank's services, balancing a checkbook |
| Spending, credit and debt | Money management basics including spending, credit, credit scores and managing debt such as retail and credit card debt; completing a loan application; disputing an incorrect bill |
| Taxes and insurance | Calculating federal income taxes, local tax assessments, basic personal insurance policies |
| Saving and investing | Calculating interest with different methods, types of savings and investments, receiving an inheritance |
| Law and contracts | Simple contracts, state and federal laws on finance |
| After high school | Costs of college and other postsecondary options, the FAFSA, scholarships, grants and student loans |
How can I prepare my child before high school?
The high school course teaches knowledge such as how credit scores and taxes work. The habits behind good money decisions, such as noticing why you want something and waiting before you buy it, can be practiced much earlier at home.
The table below is our editors' suggestion for practice by age. It is not part of the law and it is not tested data.
- Our printable Holiday Money Challenge walks a family through these habits in four weeks: babalata.com/holiday-money-challenge.
- Teachers can use our one-page Notice, Pause, Build lesson for grades 3 to 8: babalata.com/teachers.
| Age | Habit to practice | A simple way to start |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 8 | Notice what things cost and why you want them | Point out prices and ads together, and keep a picture wish list |
| 9 to 12 | Pause before buying and save toward a goal | Use a 24-hour wait rule and a visible savings goal |
| 13 to 14 | Plan money that comes in | Split gift or job money into spend, save and give before it arrives |
Where Babalata fits
Babalata is a money-habits app for US families with kids ages 6 to 18. It is available on the App Store and Google Play in the United States only. Babalata has no debit card and no bank account. Parents keep the real money.
Kids set savings goals and practice short Money Gym lessons with Babuddy, Babalata's money coach character, built on three skills: Notice, Pause and Build. Babalata is not a school course and does not replace Florida's required class. You can practice every habit in this guide with or without an app.
Questions parents ask
Is personal finance a graduation requirement in Florida?
Yes. Students who entered grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year or later must earn one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management for a standard diploma 1.
What is the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act?
It is the name of Senate Bill 1054 of 2022, the law that created the requirement. It took effect on July 1, 2022 2.
Does the requirement apply to my child who is in middle school now?
It applies to every student entering grade 9 in 2023-2024 or later 1, so a child in middle school today is covered unless the law changes. Ask your school how your district schedules the course.
What topics are on the course?
The law lists topics including bank accounts, balancing a checkbook, spending, credit and credit scores, debt, loan applications, insurance, federal income taxes, interest, savings and investments, contracts, and paying for college 1.
Did Florida reduce other credits to make room?
Yes. Students entering grade 9 in 2023-2024 or later need seven and one-half elective credits instead of eight 2.
Does Babalata count toward the requirement?
No. Babalata is a family app, not a school course, and it does not give school credit. It helps kids practice everyday money habits at home.
About Babalata
Babalata is a money-habits app for US families with kids ages 6 to 18: kids set savings goals and practice short Money Gym lessons with Babuddy, Babalata's money coach character, while parents keep the real money (no debit card, no bank account) and get a weekly family report with conversation starters.
Available on the App Store and Google Play, in the United States only.
Tools for parents: savings goal calculator, allowance calculator and printables.
Sources
- Section 1003.4282, Florida Statutes: Requirements for a standard high school diploma, The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine), 2026. Opened 23 October 2026. Paragraph (3)(h): each student entering grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year or thereafter must earn one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management, with a list of 14 required topics.
- CS/SB 1054 (2022), enrolled bill text, The Florida Senate, 2022-03. Opened 23 October 2026. May be cited as the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act; takes effect July 1, 2022; electives reduced from eight to seven and one-half credits for students entering grade 9 in 2023-2024 or later.
- A financial literacy course will soon be a high school graduation requirement in Florida, WFSU Public Media (News Service of Florida), 2022-03-23. Opened 23 October 2026. Reports the bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and that students entering high school in 2023-2024 will need the half-credit course.