Georgia requires financial literacy education for public school students, with mandates effective since 2024. The state has 70 financial literacy standards spanning 17 topic areas, covering grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12.

Last updated: March 2026

70 Standards
17 Topic Areas
required Mandate Status
K-5, 6-8, 9-12 Grade Levels

Does Georgia Require Financial Literacy Education?

Yes. Georgia requires financial literacy instruction for public school students. Georgia requires financial literacy instruction as part of the K-12 curriculum. Students must complete financial literacy standards integrated into social studies and other subject areas, with a standalone personal finance course required for high school graduation (effective 2024).

Mandate Details

Status
required
Effective Year
2024
Standalone Course
Yes
Grade Levels
K-5, 6-8, 9-12
Legislation
SB 220 (codified as O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.1) (2022-04-28)

Key Agencies

Georgia Department of Education - Instructional Materials and Support Division
Manages state adoption process, reviews and approves curriculum materials, maintains adoption lists
Georgia State Board of Education
Approves instructional materials for state adoption; sets curriculum standards
Georgia RESA (Regional Educational Service Agencies)
Provides procurement assistance and cooperative purchasing opportunities for districts
Georgia Department of Education - Procurement Office
Manages vendor registration and state procurement compliance
What this means for districts: Schools must adopt curriculum that aligns to Georgia's 70 financial literacy standards. Districts need to verify that their chosen curriculum maps to these specific requirements.

What Are Georgia's Financial Literacy Standards?

Georgia has 70 financial literacy standards organized across 17 topic areas. These topics range from Credit & Debt and Identity Theft & Cyber Safety to Budgeting & Cash Flow, covering the full spectrum of personal finance education.

8 standards
Credit & Debt
8 covered
3 standards
Identity Theft & Cyber Safety
3 covered
7 standards
Taxes
4 covered 3 gaps
4 standards
Banking & Payments
4 covered
4 standards
Employment & Benefits
3 covered 1 gap
3 standards
Investing
2 covered 1 gap
4 standards
Insurance & Risk Management
4 covered
3 standards
Consumer Protection & Fraud
2 covered 1 gap
2 standards
Housing & Mortgages
2 covered
2 standards
Financial Decision-Making & Behavior
2 covered
2 standards
Postsecondary Financing
1 covered 1 gap
2 standards
Net Worth & Wealth Building
2 covered
2 standards
Saving
2 covered
2 standards
Financial Systems & Regulation
2 covered
1 standard
Auto & Transportation Finance
1 covered
1 standard
Earning Income
1 covered
1 standard
Budgeting & Cash Flow
1 covered

How Georgia School Districts Adopt Financial Literacy Curriculum

Georgia is a state adoption state, meaning curriculum must appear on a state-approved list before districts can purchase it with state funds. Georgia is a state adoption state where the state board of education maintains official lists of approved instructional materials for K-12 schools.

Purchasing Process

Georgia uses a state adoption process where materials are evaluated and approved by the State Board of Education. Districts may purchase from the state-approved list or request waivers for alternative materials.

Decision Level

The State Board of Education approves materials for the state adoption list, but individual districts retain authority to select from approved options and may request exceptions through waiver processes.

Textbook Adoption Cycle

Cycle Length
6 years
Next Review
2030
Subject Area
Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and electives including Financial Literacy

Georgia operates on a rolling 6-year adoption cycle. Different subject areas are reviewed in different years. The financial literacy/personal finance adoption cycle aligns with social studies and business education reviews.

Cooperative Purchasing Options

Georgia HEPC (Higher Education Purchasing Consortium) - serves some K-12 districts GARFOA (Georgia Association of Regional Educational Service Agencies) purchasing cooperatives National IPA (Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance) NCPA (National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance)

Curriculum That Meets Georgia's Financial Literacy Standards

Districts looking for a standards-aligned financial literacy curriculum can use iKnowFi Academy — a self-paced, online platform built on the Absorb LMS that maps directly to Georgia's learning objectives. iKnowFi Academy covers 62 of 70 standards (88.6% coverage) across 9 courses.

Georgia Standards Coverage

88.6%
62 of 70 standards covered 9 courses

Aligned Courses

Borrowing Money

3 modules · 6 standards aligned

Establishing Credit

3 modules · 5 standards aligned

Financial Building Blocks

2 modules · 3 standards aligned

Financial Preparation and Recovery

3 modules · 21 standards aligned

Making Housing Decisions

2 modules · 3 standards aligned

Managing Your Debt

2 modules · 3 standards aligned

Managing Your Money

3 modules · 8 standards aligned

The Importance of Saving

1 module · 3 standards aligned

Your Financial Future

2 modules · 10 standards aligned

Georgia's Financial Literacy Standards & iKnowFi Academy Alignment

All 70 standards — 62 covered by iKnowFi Academy.

Credit & Debt 8/8 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF4 Compare interest rates on loans and credit cards from different institutions including banks, credit unions, pay-day loan facilities, and title-pawn companies. 9–12 Borrowing Money
SSEPF4 Define annual percentage rate and describe how different interest rates can affect monthly payments on loans. 9–12 Borrowing Money
SSEPF4 Explain the difference between simple and compound interest and the difference between fixed and variable interest. 9–12 Borrowing Money
SSEPF6 Differentiate between and explain how to access one’s credit report and credit score. 9–12 Establishing Credit
SSEPF6 Describe the basic components of a credit score including payment history, debt to income ratio, amount owed, length of credit history, types of credit used, amount of available credit, and recent credit applications. 9–12 Establishing Credit
SSEPF6 Analyze and evaluate a sample loan application for credit worthiness and the ability to receive favorable interest rates. 9–12 Borrowing Money
SSEPF6 Explain the difference between revolving credit and installment credit. 9–12 Managing Your Debt
SSEPF6 Explain causes of personal bankruptcy and describe consequences of declaring bankruptcy. 9–12 Managing Your Debt
Identity Theft & Cyber Safety 3/3 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF10 Describe common ways identity theft happens including dumpster diving, skimming, phishing, stealing, and data breaches. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF10 Describe ways to protect yourself from identity theft including shredding important documents, not opening attachments to unknown emails, not revealing personal information over the phone or email, using secure networks, regularly monitoring your credit report, changing passwords on accounts, and carefully managing social media. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF10 Describe steps that should be taken if a person is the victim of identity theft including getting replacement credit cards, freezing credit histories, alerting appropriate officials, and changing passwords. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
Taxes 4/7 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Review and complete a sample federal individual income tax form 1040. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF5 Describe income taxes in the U.S. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF5 Describe sales taxes in the U.S. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF5 Describe property taxes in the U.S. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF5 Describe capital gains taxes in the U.S. 9–12 —
SSEPF5 Describe estate taxes in the U.S. 9–12 —
SSEPF5 Describe the difference between progressive, regressive, and proportional taxes. 9–12 —
Banking & Payments 4/4 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Explain how to reconcile a checking account, either online or on paper, including how to account for transactions that have not been posted (i.e. checks, weekend debit card transactions, or monthly auto-pay transactions) and how this helps avoid overdraft fees. 9–12 Managing Your Money
SSEPF3 Explain the roles/functions of money as a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account/standard of value. 9–12 Managing Your Money
SSEPF3 Compare services offered by different financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, payday lenders, and title pawn lenders. 9–12 Managing Your Money
SSEPF3 Compare and contrast cash, debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards and mobile payment apps in terms of how they work, acceptability, and the costs and benefits associated with each. 9–12 Managing Your Money
Employment & Benefits 3/4 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Describe the basic components of a paystub including gross pay, net pay, and common deductions (i.e. federal and state income tax, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA which includes Social Security and Medicare), and elective deductions like 401K, insurance and tax-deferred savings). 9–12 Financial Building Blocks
SSEPF8 Describe the impact a person’s social media footprint can have on their career and finances. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF8 Evaluate job and career options and explain the significance of investment in education, training, and skill development as it relates to future earnings. 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF8 Identify skills that are required to be successful in the workplace, including positive work ethic, punctuality, time management, teamwork, and communication skills. 9–12 —
Investing 2/3 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF3 Evaluate the risk and return of a variety of savings and investment options, including: savings accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement accounts (i.e. Roth IRA, 401K, 403b), stocks, bonds, 529 accounts, and mutual funds and explain the importance of diversification when investing. 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF4 Define nominal and real returns and explain how inflation affects interest-earning savings and investment accounts. 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF3 Describe the role of speculative investments (i.e. cryptocurrency and historical examples like buying on margin in the 1920’s). 9–12 —
Insurance & Risk Management 4/4 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF7 Explain why people buy insurance. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF7 Describe various types of insurance such as automobile, health, life (whole and term), disability, renters, flood and property. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF7 Explain the costs and benefits associated with different types of insurance, including deductibles, premiums, coverage limits shared liability, and asset protection. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF7 Define insurability and explain why insurance rates can vary. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
Consumer Protection & Fraud 2/3 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF9 Describe how government agencies offer protection in banking, investments, borrowing, and buying goods and services. 9–12 Establishing Credit
SSEPF10 Describe the basic characteristics of investment scams such as Ponzi schemes, pump and dumps, and ‘advance fee’ scams and how to avoid them. 9–12 Financial Preparation and Recovery
SSEPF9 Compare different methods for lodging consumer complaints (e.g., Better Business Bureau, online methods, and direct contact with business). 9–12 —
Housing & Mortgages 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF1 Apply a rational decision-making model to evaluate other major life choices like employment opportunities, renting a home vs. buying, selecting a mortgage, and buying a car. 9–12 Making Housing Decisions
SSEPF4 Use an online amortization tool to show how payments on a fixed loan like a mortgage are applied to interest and principal. 9–12 Making Housing Decisions
Financial Decision-Making & Behavior 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF1 Apply a rational decision-making model to evaluate the costs and benefits of post-high school life choices (i.e., college, technical school, military enlistment, workforce participation, or other option). 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF1 Apply a rational decision-making model to evaluate other major life choices like employment opportunities, renting a home vs. buying, selecting a mortgage, and buying a car. 9–12 Managing Your Money
Postsecondary Financing 1/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF1 Evaluate costs and benefits of various ways to pay for post-high school life including scholarships, the HOPE scholarship, employment, work-study programs, loans, grants, savings, prior investments, and other options. 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF1 Identify necessary documents needed to complete forms like the FAFSA or scholarship applications. 9–12 —
Net Worth & Wealth Building 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF1 Describe how individual financial decisions can help create generational wealth. 9–12 Your Financial Future
SSEPF2 Describe how to determine a person’s net worth. 9–12 Your Financial Future
Saving 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Analyze the basic components of a personal budget including income, expenses (fixed and variable), and the importance of short-term and long-term savings. 9–12 The Importance of Saving
SSEPF3 Explain the roles/functions of money as a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account/standard of value. 9–12 The Importance of Saving
Financial Systems & Regulation 2/2 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF3 Explain the roles/functions of money as a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account/standard of value. 9–12 Managing Your Money
SSEPF9 Explain the primary purpose of important consumer legislation (i.e., the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Equal Housing Act, and the Dodd-Frank Act). 9–12 Establishing Credit
Auto & Transportation Finance 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF1 Apply a rational decision-making model to evaluate other major life choices like employment opportunities, renting a home vs. buying, selecting a mortgage, and buying a car. 9–12 Borrowing Money
Earning Income 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Compare different types of income including hourly wages, salary, tips, independent contractor services (Form 1099), dividends, and capital gains. 9–12 Financial Building Blocks
Budgeting & Cash Flow 1/1 covered
ID Standard Grade iKnowFi Academy Course
SSEPF2 Analyze the basic components of a personal budget including income, expenses (fixed and variable), and the importance of short-term and long-term savings. 9–12 Financial Building Blocks

Georgia Financial Literacy FAQ

Yes. Georgia requires financial literacy instruction, effective since 2024.

Georgia requires financial literacy instruction as part of the K-12 curriculum. Students must complete financial literacy standards integrated into social studies and other subject areas, with a standalone personal finance course required for high school graduation (effective 2024).

Georgia's financial literacy requirement is established by SB 220 (codified as O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.1). Effective 2022-04-28.

Requires all high school students in 11th or 12th grade to complete a half-credit course in financial literacy covering budgeting, credit management, and related topics as a graduation requirement, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

Georgia's financial literacy standards apply to grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12. A standalone course is required.

Georgia has 70 financial literacy standards spanning 17 topic areas including Credit & Debt, Identity Theft & Cyber Safety, Banking & Payments, Taxes, Employment & Benefits.

Georgia's 70 standards are organized across 17 topics: Credit & Debt, Identity Theft & Cyber Safety, Banking & Payments, Taxes, Employment & Benefits, Investing, Insurance & Risk Management, Housing & Mortgages, Consumer Protection & Fraud, Financial Decision-Making & Behavior, Net Worth & Wealth Building, Saving, Financial Systems & Regulation, Postsecondary Financing, Auto & Transportation Finance, Earning Income, Budgeting & Cash Flow.

Georgia uses a state adoption process. Districts select from a state-approved vendor list.

Georgia uses a state adoption process where materials are evaluated and approved by the State Board of Education. Districts may purchase from the state-approved list or request waivers for alternative materials.

iKnowFi Academy covers 62 of Georgia's 70 financial literacy standards (89% coverage) across 9 self-paced online courses.

Each course is aligned to Georgia's specific learning objectives, built on the Absorb LMS, and includes built-in assessments. Teachers assign them and students work independently.

Georgia's next curriculum review is scheduled for 2030 on a 6-year cycle.

Georgia operates on a rolling 6-year adoption cycle. Different subject areas are reviewed in different years. The financial literacy/personal finance adoption cycle aligns with social studies and business education reviews.

Get Your Free Georgia Standards Alignment Report

See exactly how iKnowFi Academy maps to each of Georgia's 70 financial literacy standards — standard by standard, module by module.

  • 62 of 70 standards covered
  • 9 self-paced courses, ready to assign
  • Built-in assessments and progress tracking
  • No schedule changes needed — students work independently

Ready to see the full alignment?

Free for Georgia school districts

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Last updated: March 2026