For Colorado Teachers · Standards Alignment
Colorado’s Financial Literacy Standards, Mapped to a Ready-to-Teach Course
Colorado requires students to complete a financial literacy course to graduate. This page sets out what the law asks for, lists all 28 of the state’s grades 9–12 financial literacy evidence outcomes, and shows for each one whether our 10 classroom-ready units cover it fully, in part, or not at all — with the partial rows naming exactly what is missing.
The Requirement
What Colorado actually requires
Colorado signed HB 25-1192 in May 2025. It says high schools “shall incorporate all the financial literacy standards into a course that is required for high school graduation” (C.R.S. 22-32-135(4)(a)). CDE reads that plainly: “all high school financial literacy standards must be taught within a single course, but that course is not required to be called financial literacy”, and “A school district may also implement a standalone financial literacy course that is required for graduation”. The requirement is in effect for the 2025-26 school year, with “local education providers have broad discretion to determine the method of implementing a financial literacy course”.
⭐ So the standards are the requirement. The content lives in the Colorado Academic Standards as Social Studies Standard 5: Personal Financial Literacy, adopted November 2022: five grade level expectations for high school carrying 28 evidence outcomes between them. Those 28 are what this page maps, one at a time — which is the list a district checks its existing required course against.
One further duty arrives shortly: “Beginning with the 2027-28 school year, each student’s Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) must include exposure to federal financial and eligibility tools for state and federal financial aid”.
Check every detail against Colorado’s own sources: CDE’s financial literacy page, its HB 25-1192 fact sheet, and the Colorado Academic Standards for Personal Financial Literacy — the file this page is built from. Districts differ in which required course carries the standards, so confirm your own building’s plan before you build a syllabus around it.
The Course
10 units, 50 days, written to be taught in order
10 five-day units, 50 class periods of core instruction. How much of a semester that is depends on your building: on an every-other-day block, where a semester is roughly 45 to 50 meetings, the units fill it; on a traditional daily period, where a semester runs nearer 90, they are the spine and the course tests and the gap material below fill the rest. Plan the schedule against your own calendar rather than against this figure.
Every unit ships a free pacing guide, pre-quiz and vocabulary sheet that need no account, so you can read the objectives this crosswalk is built from before deciding anything. The full teacher kit — teacher guide, student packet, quizzes, unit project, final assessment, editable slides and the complete ZIP — comes with Full Membership.
Each card shows how many Colorado evidence outcomes that unit carries, fully or in part. A standard taught by two units is counted on both, so these add to 38 rather than to the 22 standards the course addresses.
The Crosswalk
All 28 evidence outcomes, and how far the course covers each one
22 of the 28 evidence outcomes are addressed by a unit — 9 fully and 13 in part. Of the 6 that are not, 6 are served elsewhere on this site and are linked in the table. Standard codes and wording below are reproduced from the high school Personal Financial Literacy band of the Colorado Academic Standards, Social Studies Standard 5, adopted November 2022.
How to read the third column. A unit is listed against a standard only where its published pacing-guide objectives support it, so every row here is one you can check yourself against a free PDF. Fully means those objectives support the standard’s main clause and every requirement it names outside its “e.g.” examples. Partly means they support the main clause but not one or more named requirements — and the row says which, so you know exactly what to supplement. It is a strict rule, applied the same way in all five grade level expectations; the member materials in each unit go further than the free guide advertises, so treat this as the floor, not the ceiling.
The misses are not spread evenly. 2 · FL.HS.5.2 Analyze sources of income and the relationship between caree… is where the course leaves the most to supplement — 3 of its 8 evidence outcomes are carried by no unit — so plan for that grade level expectation first. The table names every grade level expectation.
Colorado requires the standards, not a course — and that changes the question this table answers. HB 25-1192 says all the high school financial literacy standards must be taught within a single course that is required for graduation, and that course “is not required to be called financial literacy”. So a Colorado department is usually asking which of these 28 outcomes the course it already requires carries, and what it has to add — not whether to build something new. ⭐ The state’s own word for the rows is evidence outcomes: what shows a student meeting the expectation at mastery. Each row below names the unit and the day that would produce that evidence. ⚠ Two gaps are worth planning for specifically: FL.HS.5.2.e names Colorado’s own aid application (CASFA), which no national material can carry, and the inflation and cost-of-living outcomes sit outside these units by design, since they print no rate that could go out of date.
| Grade Level Expectation | Evidence outcomes | Fully | Partly | Not by a unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 FL.HS.5.1 Apply reliable information to make systematic personal financial decisions based on individual and community values and goals. | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 FL.HS.5.2 Analyze sources of income and the relationship between career preparation, continuing education, and its impact on lifetime earning potential. | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 FL.HS.5.3 Apply consumer skills to budgeting, spending, saving, and borrowing decisions. | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 4 FL.HS.5.4 Explore a diversified investment strategy that is compatible with personal financial goals. | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 FL.HS.5.5 Choose risk management strategies for protection from the financial risk of lost income, lost or damaged property, health issues, or identity fraud. | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| All five grade level expectations | 28 | 9 | 13 | 6 |
1 · FL.HS.5.1 Apply reliable information to make systematic personal financial decisions based on individual and community values and goals.
| Outcome | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| FL.HS.5.1.a FL.HS.5.1 |
Recognize the alternatives, consequences, and responsibilities associated with personal financial decisions. | FullyRenting & Major Purchases · Credit & Borrowing · Insurance & Risk |
| FL.HS.5.1.b FL.HS.5.1 |
Use reliable information resources when making financial decisions. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & Fraud · Insurance & RiskNot covered here: Naming reliable information resources — where a student should go for financial information in the first place — is not itself a published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.1.c FL.HS.5.1 |
Formulate strategies to protect personal and financial information. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: Strategies to protect the information itself — documents, account numbers, what to share and what to withhold — are what this outcome asks students to formulate, and no published objective does. |
| FL.HS.5.1.d FL.HS.5.1 |
Develop a system for keeping and using financial records. | FullyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Banking & Checking · Modern Payments, Scams & Fraud |
| FL.HS.5.1.e FL.HS.5.1 |
Compare financial institutions and products. | PartlyBanking & Checking · Saving & Emergency FundsNot covered here: Comparing institutions — a bank against a credit union against an online-only provider — is the other half of this outcome and is not a published objective. |
2 · FL.HS.5.2 Analyze sources of income and the relationship between career preparation, continuing education, and its impact on lifetime earning potential.
| Outcome | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| FL.HS.5.2.a FL.HS.5.2 |
Compare different sources of personal income and compensation. Including but not limited to: earned income, profit income, interest income, dividend income, rental income, capital gains, and royalties. | PartlyCareers & Paying for Education · Budgeting & First PaycheckNot covered here: The outcome’s list is wider than earned income: profit, interest, dividend, rental income, capital gains and royalties are named, and no published objective teaches income that does not come from a job. |
| FL.HS.5.2.b FL.HS.5.2 |
Analyze the impact of economic conditions and cost of living factors on income and purchasing power. | No unit — see Economics lessons & worksheets · Politics & Economy articles |
| FL.HS.5.2.c FL.HS.5.2 |
Predict the potential impact of education and skill development choices on career earnings, including starting salary by field and level of degree or credential. | PartlyCareers & Paying for EducationNot covered here: Starting salary by field and by level of credential is published data the units do not print, so the comparison this outcome asks for is set up rather than performed. |
| FL.HS.5.2.d FL.HS.5.2 |
Investigate the total cost, affordability, and payment options associated with postsecondary options, degrees, and credentials, including personal savings, scholarships, grants, employer tuition programs, work study, and public and private loans. | FullyCareers & Paying for Education |
| FL.HS.5.2.e FL.HS.5.2 |
Review the purpose and the process of accessing state and federal financial aid. Including but not limited to: the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application for financial aid. | No unit — see Paying for college lessons · Benefits articles |
| FL.HS.5.2.f FL.HS.5.2 |
Analyze student loan repayment options, terms, requirements, and state and federal repayment programs and their impact on a student's financial future. | No unit — see Paying for college lessons · Credit & Debt articles · Career lessons & worksheets |
| FL.HS.5.2.g FL.HS.5.2 |
Analyze the monetary and non-monetary value of employee benefits in addition to pay. For example: Benefits, flexible work options, and retirement plans. | PartlyCareers & Paying for EducationNot covered here: The non-monetary side — flexible work options, conditions, the things a job is worth beyond money — is named and is not a published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.2.h FL.HS.5.2 |
Simulate a sustainable household budget based on future personal and career goals. | FullyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Careers & Paying for Education · Renting & Major Purchases |
3 · FL.HS.5.3 Apply consumer skills to budgeting, spending, saving, and borrowing decisions.
| Outcome | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| FL.HS.5.3.a FL.HS.5.3 |
Analyze how inflation and cost of living impact consumer purchasing and saving power. | No unit — see Economics lessons & worksheets · Politics & Economy articles |
| FL.HS.5.3.b FL.HS.5.3 |
Summarize factors to consider when selecting borrowing options, including costs, relevance, payoffs, and tradeoffs. For example: Comparing student, auto, home, and payday loans. | PartlyCredit & Borrowing · Careers & Paying for EducationNot covered here: The outcome’s own comparison — student, auto, home and payday loans set against each other on cost and trade-off — is not a published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.3.c FL.HS.5.3 |
Explain how an individual's credit history can affect borrowing power. | FullyCredit & Borrowing |
| FL.HS.5.3.d FL.HS.5.3 |
Design a household budget (using gross and net income) that addresses financial obligations and integrates saving for future goals and retirement based on your values and goals. | PartlyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Taxes & First Filing · Saving & Emergency FundsNot covered here: Retirement as a line in that household budget is named in the outcome and is not a published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.3.e FL.HS.5.3 |
Describe how to use and manage different types of accounts and payment methods. | FullyBanking & Checking · Modern Payments, Scams & Fraud |
| FL.HS.5.3.f FL.HS.5.3 |
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of various types of credit. | PartlyCredit & BorrowingNot covered here: Types of credit beyond the card — installment loans, lines of credit, store credit — are not compared in any published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.3.g FL.HS.5.3 |
Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of leasing versus purchasing automobiles, homes, and other large purchases. | PartlyRenting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: The lease itself as a financing instrument, with its own arithmetic, is not a published objective. |
4 · FL.HS.5.4 Explore a diversified investment strategy that is compatible with personal financial goals.
| Outcome | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| FL.HS.5.4.a FL.HS.5.4 |
Select financial investments that align with financial goals, risk tolerance, and personal and retirement options for different life stages. | PartlyInvesting & Long-Term Growth · Saving & Emergency FundsNot covered here: Risk tolerance and the life stages this outcome names as inputs are not published objectives, and the unit prints no product list to select from. |
| FL.HS.5.4.b FL.HS.5.4 |
Analyze how financial markets react to changes in market conditions, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and information. For example: The business cycle. | No unit — see Investing lessons & worksheets · Investing articles · Politics & Economy articles |
5 · FL.HS.5.5 Choose risk management strategies for protection from the financial risk of lost income, lost or damaged property, health issues, or identity fraud.
| Outcome | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| FL.HS.5.5.a FL.HS.5.5 |
Evaluate strategies for consumers to avoid financial risk, reduce risk, accept risk, or transfer risk to others through insurance. | FullyInsurance & Risk |
| FL.HS.5.5.b FL.HS.5.5 |
Identify the cost and benefits of purchasing insurance. For example: Insured profile, number and size of claims, frequency, and costs of natural disasters. | FullyInsurance & Risk |
| FL.HS.5.5.c FL.HS.5.5 |
Explain the types and purpose of insurance products. For example: Automotive, identity theft, health, disability, long-term care, life insurance, renters/homeowners' insurance, and professional liability. | PartlyInsurance & Risk · Renting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: This outcome is a product taxonomy — auto, identity theft, health, disability, long-term care, life, renters and homeowners, professional liability — and the unit names none of them in a published objective. |
| FL.HS.5.5.d FL.HS.5.5 |
Outline steps to monitor and safeguard personal financial data to minimize, avoid and/or resolve identity theft or fraud issues. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: Resolving an identity theft — the steps a victim takes afterwards — is named in the outcome and is not published here, because the unit prints no statutory deadline by design. |
| FL.HS.5.5.e FL.HS.5.5 |
Analyze consumer and financial information for relevance, credibility, and accuracy. | FullyModern Payments, Scams & Fraud · Insurance & Risk |
| FL.HS.5.5.f FL.HS.5.5 |
Identify consumer responsibilities, rights, and consumer protection laws that regulate contracts and financial transactions. | No unit — see Legal Basics articles · Scams & Fraud articles |
The Gaps
The 6 standards these units do not teach
No single course covers 28 standards to the same depth, and a crosswalk that claimed otherwise would not be much use to you in a curriculum review. These are the ones the 10 units do not carry, each with the reason. Most are served by something else on this site; where nothing is, it says so. Links marked lessons, worksheets or by a printable’s name are classroom material; links marked articles are background reading rather than something you can hand to a class.
- FL.HS.5.2.b Analyze the impact of economic conditions and cost of living factors on income and purchasing power.How economic conditions and the cost of living move income and purchasing power. The units print no inflation rate by design, and no published objective compares the cost of living between places. Elsewhere on this site: Economics lessons & worksheets, Politics & Economy articles.
- FL.HS.5.2.e Review the purpose and the process of accessing state and federal financial aid. Including but not limited to: the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA), the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application for financial aid.The purpose and process of applying for state and federal financial aid, including Colorado’s own CASFA. A national unit cannot carry a state’s aid application, and the FAFSA process itself is not a published objective either. Elsewhere on this site: Paying for college lessons, Benefits articles.
- FL.HS.5.2.f Analyze student loan repayment options, terms, requirements, and state and federal repayment programs and their impact on a student's financial future.Student loan repayment options, terms and the state and federal repayment programs. Careers Day 4 separates loans from gift aid; repayment is taught by no published objective. Elsewhere on this site: Paying for college lessons, Credit & Debt articles, Career lessons & worksheets.
- FL.HS.5.3.a Analyze how inflation and cost of living impact consumer purchasing and saving power.How inflation and the cost of living move purchasing and saving power. The units print no inflation rate by design. Elsewhere on this site: Economics lessons & worksheets, Politics & Economy articles.
- FL.HS.5.4.b Analyze how financial markets react to changes in market conditions, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and information. For example: The business cycle.How financial markets react to market conditions, monetary and fiscal policy and new information. Deliberate on our side: the Investing unit teaches the money before it reaches the market. Elsewhere on this site: Investing lessons & worksheets, Investing articles, Politics & Economy articles.
- FL.HS.5.5.f Identify consumer responsibilities, rights, and consumer protection laws that regulate contracts and financial transactions.Consumer rights and the protection laws that regulate contracts and financial transactions. The units teach the reasoning and print no statute by design. Elsewhere on this site: Legal Basics articles, Scams & Fraud articles.
For Your Documentation
Using this in a curriculum map
Copy the standard codes straight from the table into your planning documents. Each unit’s own page lists its five daily objectives, and the free pacing guide prints them in a one-page table you can attach to a curriculum map or hand to a department head.
If you also report against the national frameworks, the Jump$tart and CEE crosswalk maps the same library to those. For placement and end-of-course evidence, the assessments hub lists the free course diagnostic and the unit and course tests.
Teach the whole course
The pacing guides, pre-quizzes and vocabulary sheets are free and need no account. Full Membership adds every teacher guide, student packet, quiz, unit project, final assessment and editable slide deck across all 10 units, plus the worksheet generators and printables the units point to.
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