For Pennsylvania Teachers · Standards Alignment
Pennsylvania Personal Finance Standards, Mapped to a Ready-to-Teach Course
Pennsylvania requires students to complete a personal finance course to graduate. This page sets out what the law asks for, lists all 61 of the state’s grades 9–12 personal finance standards, 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 Pennsylvania actually requires
Under Act 35 of 2023, which amended the Public School Code of 1949, Pennsylvania students must complete a personal finance course of at least one-half credit during grades 9 through 12. The requirement takes effect with the 2026-2027 school year.
The content is set by the Academic Standards for Personal Finance (22 Pa. Code Chapter 4, Appendix F), approved by the State Board of Education on September 12, 2024, published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on February 8, 2025, and effective July 1, 2026. They are grade-banded, and the grades 9–12 band contains 61 standards across six areas.
Check the details against the Commonwealth’s own pages: the Department of Education on personal finance and the State Board’s academic standards. Districts differ in how they schedule the course, 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 Pennsylvania standards that unit carries, fully or in part. A standard taught by two units is counted on both, so these add to 51 rather than to the 38 standards the course addresses.
The Crosswalk
All 61 standards, and how far the course covers each one
38 of the 61 standards are addressed by a unit — 12 fully and 26 in part. Of the 23 that are not, 22 are served elsewhere on this site and are linked in the table. Standard codes and wording below are reproduced from Pennsylvania’s own 22 Pa. Code Chapter 4, Appendix F (Reg. #006-354).
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 six areas; the member materials in each unit go further than the free guide advertises, so treat this as the floor, not the ceiling. 2 standards set part of their examples in capitals; that is how they appear in the regulation, and they are reproduced here unchanged.
The misses are not spread evenly. Saving & Investing (17.4) is where the course leaves the most to supplement — 8 of its 11 standards are carried by no unit — so plan for that area first. The table names every area.
| Area | Standards | Fully | Partly | Not by a unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.1 Personal Finance Fundamentals | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 17.2 Income | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 17.3 Spending | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 17.4 Saving & Investing | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 17.5 Risk & Insurance | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 17.6 Credit | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| All six areas | 61 | 12 | 26 | 23 |
17.1 · Personal Finance Fundamentals
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.1.9-12.A Financial goal setting and decision making |
Determine the financial impact of various long-term goals (e.g., lifestyle, family, education). | FullyCareers & Paying for Education · Saving & Emergency Funds |
| 17.1.9-12.B Financial goal setting and decision making |
Apply a systematic decision-making process, including opportunity costs, to setting and achieving financial goals. | PartlyCareers & Paying for Education · Renting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: No published objective names opportunity cost. |
| 17.1.9-12.C Financial mindset and behaviors |
Analyze the impact of various factors on a person's financial mindset and decisions. | No unit — see Risk & Decision-Making articles |
| 17.1.9-12.D Financial mindset and behaviors |
Evaluate strategies for dealing with behavioral biases (E.G., LOSS AVERSION, EXPERIENTIAL BIAS, MENTAL ACCOUNTING) and other obstacles to managing personal finances. | No unit — see Risk & Decision-Making articles |
| 17.1.9-12.E Financial mindset and behaviors |
Assess the value of sharing financial goals and information with others. | No unit — see Family Money Meetings article |
| 17.1.9-12.F Financial services |
Compare various financial service providers (e.g., banks, credit unions, check cashers, brokerage firms) and the types of accounts and services each provides. | PartlyBanking & Checking · Investing & Long-Term GrowthNot covered here: The objectives compare account types, not providers: credit unions, check cashers and brokerage firms are not named. |
| 17.1.9-12.G Financial services |
Communicate the process of opening financial accounts and the factors to consider when selecting financial institutions and professionals. | No unit — see Banking lessons & worksheets · Types of Bank Accounts lesson |
| 17.1.9-12.H Financial services |
Evaluate the use of financial technology to access financial services and make financial decisions. | FullyBanking & Checking · Modern Payments, Scams & Fraud |
| 17.1.9-12.I Financial record keeping |
Develop a system for documenting and organizing personal financial records, both paper and electronic. | PartlyBanking & Checking · Budgeting & First PaycheckNot covered here: Students keep a register and a log rather than design a records system, and no objective covers organizing electronic records. |
| 17.1.9-12.J Financial record keeping |
Explain the financial implications of wills, powers of attorney, and naming beneficiaries for various accounts. | No unit — see Estate Planning articles |
| 17.1.9-12.K Consumer protection |
Explain the role of various state and federal financial regulators and consumer protection agencies. | Not covered |
| 17.1.9-12.L Consumer protection |
Describe the issues addressed by various laws and regulations that impact or safeguard a person's finances. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: The unit teaches the protections that apply and, by published design, names no law or regulation; only payment disputes are covered. |
17.2 · Income
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.2.9-12.A Sources of income |
Explain various types of income (e.g., earned, unearned, passive, active) and their sources (e.g., work, rentals, investments, government programs). | PartlyCareers & Paying for Education · Investing & Long-Term GrowthNot covered here: Rental and government-program income are not covered, and the objectives do not use the earned / unearned / passive / active categories. |
| 17.2.9-12.B Sources of income |
Describe sources of retirement income and how they relate to individual investment choices, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and government programs. | PartlyInvesting & Long-Term GrowthNot covered here: The guide sends Social Security and other government programs to the retirement articles and the claiming-age calculator. |
| 17.2.9-12.C Factors influencing income |
Use data to support an individual's decision to obtain or forgo post-secondary education based on the associated costs and anticipated future income. | FullyCareers & Paying for Education |
| 17.2.9-12.D Factors influencing income |
Research options to pay for education and training, ways to reduce the total cost, and steps needed to obtain financial aid. | PartlyCareers & Paying for EducationNot covered here: No objective covers the steps needed to obtain aid, including the FAFSA. |
| 17.2.9-12.E Factors influencing income |
Evaluate the impacts of technology, labor markets, and economic conditions and trends on a person's employment potential. | No unit — see Career readiness lessons |
| 17.2.9-12.F Factors influencing income |
Explain the impact of employee benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement savings plans, education reimbursement programs) on an individual's finances. | FullyCareers & Paying for Education |
| 17.2.9-12.G Self-employment and supplemental income |
Analyze the financial impact of a person's decision to own a business, work as an independent contractor, or be employed. | No unit — see Entrepreneurship lessons |
| 17.2.9-12.H Income and payroll taxes |
Calculate the impact of taxes and payroll deductions on income. | FullyTaxes & First Filing · Budgeting & First Paycheck |
| 17.2.9-12.I Income and payroll taxes |
Complete various federal, state, and local tax forms. | PartlyTaxes & First FilingNot covered here: The forms are federal. No objective covers a Pennsylvania return or a local earned income tax return, which most PA districts levy. |
17.3 · Spending
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.3.9-12.A Spending decisions |
Develop a process for making informed spending decisions, including factors to consider (e.g., product features, price, durability, environmental or societal impact, reliability of information). | PartlyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Renting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: Product features, durability, environmental or societal impact and the reliability of information are not covered. |
| 17.3.9-12.B Spending decisions |
Compare ways people can lower the price they pay for goods and services (e.g., online tools, discount retailers, negotiating, secondhand items). | No unit — see Grocery Budget & Unit Price Challenge · Shopping on a Budget lesson |
| 17.3.9-12.C Developing a budget |
Develop a personal approach to keeping track of income and spending. | FullyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Banking & Checking |
| 17.3.9-12.D Developing a budget |
Evaluate various budgeting approaches (e.g., 50-30-20, zero-based) and methods (e.g., envelope system, spreadsheets, online tools). | PartlyBudgeting & First PaycheckNot covered here: One approach is applied rather than several evaluated, and no objective covers the envelope, spreadsheet or online-tool methods. |
| 17.3.9-12.E Developing a budget |
Create a personal budget to allocate current or future income, including estimates for fixed and variable expenses. | FullyBudgeting & First Paycheck |
| 17.3.9-12.F Developing a budget |
Identify methods for adjusting a budget for unexpected expenses or loss of income. | FullyBudgeting & First Paycheck · Saving & Emergency Funds |
| 17.3.9-12.G Payment methods |
Compare the effects of using various payment methods when making purchases. | FullyModern Payments, Scams & Fraud · Credit & Borrowing |
| 17.3.9-12.H Payment methods |
Compare various approaches to paying bills, including making automated payments and ensuring bills are paid on time. | PartlyRenting & Major Purchases · Modern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: No objective compares approaches to paying bills or covers setting up automated payments. |
| 17.3.9-12.I Payment methods |
Describe the impact of technology on payment methods and how it influences spending. | FullyModern Payments, Scams & Fraud |
| 17.3.9-12.J Major life purchases |
Analyze a housing decision, including comparing renting and buying, upfront and ongoing costs, and the process of obtaining a mortgage or a lease. | PartlyRenting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: No objective compares renting with buying a home or covers obtaining a mortgage. |
| 17.3.9-12.K Major life purchases |
Justify the purchase or lease of a vehicle and the alternatives considered (e.g., new versus used, total cost of ownership or use). | PartlyRenting & Major PurchasesNot covered here: No objective weighs new against used, or a lease against a purchase. |
| 17.3.9-12.L Sales and Property Taxes |
Analyze the impact of paying sales, excise, and property taxes on financial decisions. | No unit — see Tax lessons & worksheets |
| 17.3.9-12.M Charitable Giving |
Justify a decision to participate in or forgo a fundraising effort based on the organization and cause. | No unit — see Donating & Charities lessons |
17.4 · Saving & Investing
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.4.9-12.A Asset building |
Calculate a person's net worth given their assets and liabilities. | No unit — see Money Basics articles |
| 17.4.9-12.B Saving |
Develop a savings plan for accomplishing personal short-and long-term financial goals. | FullySaving & Emergency Funds |
| 17.4.9-12.C Saving |
Compare the features of various savings vehicles (e.g., savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts) and the interest rates offered by several institutions. | PartlySaving & Emergency Funds · Banking & CheckingNot covered here: Certificates of deposit and money market accounts are not named, and no objective compares rates across institutions. |
| 17.4.9-12.D Investing |
Explain factors that contribute to rates of return for various investments, including risk, inflation, and taxes. | No unit — see Investing lessons & worksheets |
| 17.4.9-12.E Investing |
Explain the similarities and differences between stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds, and the factors that influence price fluctuations for each. | No unit — see Investing lessons & worksheets |
| 17.4.9-12.F Investing |
Describe factors to consider when selecting sources of investment advice and trading methods (e.g., online trading platforms, financial advisors, robo-advisors). | No unit — see MI Brokerage Simulator |
| 17.4.9-12.G Investing |
Explain how popular benchmark indices are used. | No unit — see Investing lessons & worksheets |
| 17.4.9-12.H Investing |
Recommend an investment portfolio diversified to meet specific goals, including purpose, starting age, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. | No unit — see MI Brokerage Simulator |
| 17.4.9-12.I Investing |
Compare retirement-specific investment options, including employer-sponsored plans, Roth and traditional individual retirement accounts, and accounts available to people who are self-employed. | PartlyInvesting & Long-Term GrowthNot covered here: No objective covers the accounts available to someone who is self-employed. |
| 17.4.9-12.J Investing risk tolerance |
Analyze personal attitudes towards risk and how these might impact future investment decisions and outcomes. | No unit — see Risk & Decision-Making articles |
| 17.4.9-12.K Investing risk tolerance |
Describe methods to avoid or counteract the potentially negative impacts of behavioral biases (E.G., LOSS AVERSION, HERDING, CHOICE OVERLOAD) on investment decisions. | No unit — see Risk & Decision-Making articles |
17.5 · Risk & Insurance
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.5.9-12.A Risk identification and management |
Evaluate a person's potential for financial risk (e.g., loss of personal property, reduction in income, liability). | FullyInsurance & Risk |
| 17.5.9-12.B Risk identification and management |
Critique approaches to avoiding, reducing, retaining, and transferring risk given a particular scenario. | PartlyInsurance & RiskNot covered here: Avoiding and reducing risk are not treated separately from retaining and transferring it. |
| 17.5.9-12.C Insurance |
Formulate insurance recommendations based on individual needs, situations, and preferences, including but not limited to automotive, homeowners, renters, health, life, and disability, as justified. | PartlyInsurance & RiskNot covered here: The guide states the unit runs no survey of insurance types and no life, disability or long-term-care product comparison, so recommendations across the six lines the standard names are not covered. |
| 17.5.9-12.D Insurance |
Use information from various sources to compare insurance providers, plans, and prices. | PartlyInsurance & RiskNot covered here: One rate table rather than information from various sources. |
| 17.5.9-12.E Insurance |
Formulate a process of comparing insurance products, determining out-of-pocket costs, and filing claims. | PartlyInsurance & RiskNot covered here: No objective covers filing a claim. |
| 17.5.9-12.F Insurance |
Describe circumstances in which a person may be required to show proof of insurance or obtain a minimum amount of coverage. | No unit — see Insurance lessons & worksheets |
| 17.5.9-12.G Insurance |
Evaluate the impact of public insurance programs for individuals facing financial hardship (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment). | No unit — see Benefits articles · Medicare articles |
| 17.5.9-12.H Financial fraud and identity theft |
Analyze trends in financial fraud and strategies to avoid becoming a victim. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: The unit teaches how to avoid a scam rather than analysing trends in fraud. |
| 17.5.9-12.I Financial fraud and identity theft |
Research the agencies individuals can contact and steps they can take to address financial fraud and scams, including identity theft. | No unit — see Scam Checklist printable · Scams & Fraud articles |
17.6 · Credit
| Standard | What it asks for | Where the course covers it |
|---|---|---|
| 17.6.9-12.A Credit use and benefits |
Evaluate pathways to obtaining credit and what lenders look for in a borrower (e.g., character, capacity, capital, collateral). | PartlyCredit & BorrowingNot covered here: The four Cs a lender weighs, and the pathways to obtaining credit, are not covered. |
| 17.6.9-12.B Credit use and benefits |
Describe how credit reports and scores are determined, used, and improved. | PartlyCredit & BorrowingNot covered here: The objective covers the score; how a credit report is compiled is not covered. |
| 17.6.9-12.C Types of credit |
Compare various forms of credit and how each is used (e.g., secured and unsecured loans, installment and revolving credit, service credit). | PartlyCredit & BorrowingNot covered here: Secured against unsecured, installment against revolving, and service credit are not named. |
| 17.6.9-12.D Types of credit |
Analyze the use of loans to finance higher education and home purchases, how they are obtained, and options for paying them back. | PartlyCareers & Paying for EducationNot covered here: No objective covers home loans, how a loan is obtained, or the options for paying one back. |
| 17.6.9-12.E Costs of credit |
Calculate the total cost of credit given a variety of situations (e.g., making minimum payments, paying fees, using alternative financial service providers). | PartlyCredit & BorrowingNot covered here: The guide keeps APR conceptual, and alternative financial service providers are not covered. |
| 17.6.9-12.F Costs of credit |
Describe the consequences of failing to repay debts and sources of debt management assistance. | No unit — see Credit lessons & worksheets · Debt Relief articles |
| 17.6.9-12.G Credit rights and responsibilities |
Evaluate various rights and laws related to credit and their impact on consumers. | PartlyModern Payments, Scams & FraudNot covered here: Only the payment-dispute rules; the unit names no credit law by design. |
The Gaps
The 23 standards these units do not teach
No single course covers 61 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.
- 17.1.9-12.C Analyze the impact of various factors on a person's financial mindset and decisions.No unit objective addresses financial mindset. Elsewhere on this site: Risk & Decision-Making articles.
- 17.1.9-12.D Evaluate strategies for dealing with behavioral biases (E.G., LOSS AVERSION, EXPERIENTIAL BIAS, MENTAL ACCOUNTING) and other obstacles to managing personal finances.No unit teaches behavioral biases. Elsewhere on this site: Risk & Decision-Making articles.
- 17.1.9-12.E Assess the value of sharing financial goals and information with others.No unit addresses sharing financial goals with others. Elsewhere on this site: Family Money Meetings article.
- 17.1.9-12.G Communicate the process of opening financial accounts and the factors to consider when selecting financial institutions and professionals.Banking Day 1 covers what a bank does and the types of account, but no objective covers opening an account or choosing between institutions or financial professionals. Elsewhere on this site: Banking lessons & worksheets, Types of Bank Accounts lesson.
- 17.1.9-12.J Explain the financial implications of wills, powers of attorney, and naming beneficiaries for various accounts.Wills, powers of attorney and beneficiaries are outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Estate Planning articles.
- 17.1.9-12.K Explain the role of various state and federal financial regulators and consumer protection agencies.No unit teaches the regulator and consumer-protection landscape. Nothing on this site covers it.
- 17.2.9-12.E Evaluate the impacts of technology, labor markets, and economic conditions and trends on a person's employment potential.No unit objective covers labor markets or employment trends. Elsewhere on this site: Career readiness lessons.
- 17.2.9-12.G Analyze the financial impact of a person's decision to own a business, work as an independent contractor, or be employed.Self-employment against employment is outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Entrepreneurship lessons.
- 17.3.9-12.B Compare ways people can lower the price they pay for goods and services (e.g., online tools, discount retailers, negotiating, secondhand items).No unit objective covers comparison shopping or lowering the price paid. Elsewhere on this site: Grocery Budget & Unit Price Challenge, Shopping on a Budget lesson.
- 17.3.9-12.L Analyze the impact of paying sales, excise, and property taxes on financial decisions.Sales, excise and property taxes are outside the Taxes unit, which covers income tax and a first return. Elsewhere on this site: Tax lessons & worksheets.
- 17.3.9-12.M Justify a decision to participate in or forgo a fundraising effort based on the organization and cause.Charitable giving is outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Donating & Charities lessons.
- 17.4.9-12.A Calculate a person's net worth given their assets and liabilities.No unit objective calculates net worth. Elsewhere on this site: Money Basics articles.
- 17.4.9-12.D Explain factors that contribute to rates of return for various investments, including risk, inflation, and taxes.The unit prints no rate of return by design, so nothing covers what drives one. Elsewhere on this site: Investing lessons & worksheets.
- 17.4.9-12.E Explain the similarities and differences between stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds, and the factors that influence price fluctuations for each.Comparing stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs is outside the unit. Elsewhere on this site: Investing lessons & worksheets.
- 17.4.9-12.F Describe factors to consider when selecting sources of investment advice and trading methods (e.g., online trading platforms, financial advisors, robo-advisors).Sources of investment advice are outside the unit. Elsewhere on this site: MI Brokerage Simulator.
- 17.4.9-12.G Explain how popular benchmark indices are used.Benchmark indices are outside the unit. Elsewhere on this site: Investing lessons & worksheets.
- 17.4.9-12.H Recommend an investment portfolio diversified to meet specific goals, including purpose, starting age, time horizon, and tolerance for risk.Portfolio construction is outside the unit. Elsewhere on this site: MI Brokerage Simulator.
- 17.4.9-12.J Analyze personal attitudes towards risk and how these might impact future investment decisions and outcomes.Investment risk tolerance is outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Risk & Decision-Making articles.
- 17.4.9-12.K Describe methods to avoid or counteract the potentially negative impacts of behavioral biases (E.G., LOSS AVERSION, HERDING, CHOICE OVERLOAD) on investment decisions.Behavioral biases in investing are outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Risk & Decision-Making articles.
- 17.5.9-12.F Describe circumstances in which a person may be required to show proof of insurance or obtain a minimum amount of coverage.The guide states the unit prints no state minimums or legal limits, and no objective covers when proof of insurance must be shown. Elsewhere on this site: Insurance lessons & worksheets.
- 17.5.9-12.G Evaluate the impact of public insurance programs for individuals facing financial hardship (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment).Public insurance programs are outside the units. Elsewhere on this site: Benefits articles, Medicare articles.
- 17.5.9-12.I Research the agencies individuals can contact and steps they can take to address financial fraud and scams, including identity theft.The unit teaches why persuaded payments are rarely covered, but no objective covers which agencies to contact after fraud. Elsewhere on this site: Scam Checklist printable, Scams & Fraud articles.
- 17.6.9-12.F Describe the consequences of failing to repay debts and sources of debt management assistance.No unit objective covers the consequences of failing to repay, or where to get debt-management help. Elsewhere on this site: Credit lessons & worksheets, Debt Relief 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
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