Minnesota high schoolers who want a diploma now have to pass a class in how to handle their money. At Eagan High School, students were already in their seats on Friday, logging time in a semester-long personal finance course that has shifted from a nice-to-have elective to a must-pass requirement for the cohort that started ninth grade in fall 2024. The goal is simple and not especially glamorous: send young people out of school with real-world skills such as budgeting, taxes and insurance.
In coverage by KSTP, Eagan students described lessons on Roth IRAs, taxes, debt and insurance, along with a class simulation where a car breakdown suddenly cost them $600. Senior Hailey Santos told the station she learned she can open a Roth IRA at 18, and sophomore Malia Fang called the class “super helpful.” Teacher Abby Osborn said students stay locked in on topics like copays and deductibles because they can see how quickly those concepts will show up in their own lives.
How the requirement works
The new rule quietly rode into law as part of broader education legislation in 2023 and, according to the Minnesota Department of Education, it applies to students who began ninth grade in the 2024–25 school year. Those students must complete a for-credit course in personal finance during grades 10, 11 or 12. The department has published statewide guidance and an FAQ to help districts design their offerings and notes that teachers must either hold a relevant field license or receive out-of-field permission to teach the subject. State guidance also emphasizes local control, leaving each district to decide whether personal finance will count as a half-credit or full-credit course.
Districts are scheduling courses…