Seal of Personal Finance
Back to the Diploma Seals Page
The Arizona Seal of Personal Finance program recognizes high school students who achieve a high level of proficiency in Personal Finance. The seal is placed upon the student's diploma and noted on their transcript.
Click Here > Intent to Participate Form (NEW) Now Open for the 2025-2026 School Year | Click Here > Personal Finance Reporting Form Complete for the 2024-2025 School Year by September 1 |
General Information
In 2018, the Fifty-third Legislature passed SB1442 creating a Seal of Personal Finance. The State Board of Education and the Superintentent were tasked with creating the requirements for proficiecny which led to R7-2-319 outlining the details.
SB1442 (Created the Seal of Personal Finance)
Reports are created each academic year. Schools are required to report the number of students awarded the Seal of Personal Finance by September 1 of the start of the next school year. Select the years below to view the annual report that includes: number of students awarded, participating districts/charters, and other general information.
Personal finance (or financial literacy) is defined as "the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing (Investopedia 2025)." While the 2018 History and Social Science Standards require "Financial Literacy/Personal Finance, including but not limited to budgeting, saving, spending, investment, credit, banking, and insurance" in a student's economics course, we consider proficiency going beyond just this learning. Students demonstrate proficiency by not just knowing the basics but by taking the skills learned and applying them to their current and future lives.
The five components of Personal Finance (Patrik Shore 2021)
Information for Students and Parents
Contact your district directly if you have any questions about earning the Seal of Personal Finance.
Student must be attending public school or charter. Not sure if you attend a public school? Search for your disctrict/charter on the AZ School Report Cards website.
Students must complete all requirements during grades 9-12. Previous experience will not be counted.
Students must complete all required social studies courses with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale.
Students must meet the following requirements:
Completion of an approved personal finance program or curriculum (Learning)
Passage of an assessment(s) of personal finance (Proof of Proficiency)
Participation in a co-curricular or extracurricular program (Outside of School)
Completion of a college/career readiness plan
- Seal of Personal Finance Checklist
- Seal of Personal Finance Flyer
- National Standards of Financial Literacy
- Created by the Council for Economic Education
A+ Charter School Edkey, INC. - Sequoia Charter Secondary | Gila Bend Unified School District | Saddle Mountain Unified Tanque Verde High School |
Information for District Coordinators
Any PUBLIC school, charter, or district may choose to participate but they must complete the INTENT TO PARTICIPATE FORM by September 1 of the participating year.
Schools/districts must develop their own process for collecting student data and distributing the seals. Public school districts and charters must designate at least one individual to serve as the Coordinator of the Program.
Participating school districts and charters must make information regarding the Seal of Personal Finance program available to parents and students.
Schools/Districts must report seal data through the REPORTING FORM no later than 90 days after the school year or by September 1.
Students must complete all required social studies courses with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale.
Students must meet the following requirements:
Completion of an approved personal finance program or curriculum (Learning)
Passage of an assessment(s) of personal finance (Proof of Proficiency)
Participation in a co-curricular or extracurricular program (Outside of School)
Completion of a college/career readiness plan
Seal of Personal Finance Student Checklist
Seal of Personal Finance Flyer
Seal of Personal Finance Information Slides
Program Rubric for Seal of Personal Finance
Formal Seal from the Arizona Department of Education
The Arizona Department of Education will contact those districts/schools that participated and will request an unofficial count of students receiving the Seal of Biliteracy in April. Foil and sticker seals will be sent at the beginning of May to be added to Diplomas.
Optional Recognitions for Seal of Biliteracy
The Arizona Department of Education does not supply any of the following options. A local district or school may provide these items to its students who earn the Seal of Personal Finance:
Triple-wrapped graduation cord - Colors for the Seal of Personal Finance can be green, white, and gold.
Certificates are issued to students earning the Seal of Personal Finance
Medals for the Seal of Personal Finance
Recognition ceremony or assembly
Mention in a local paper
A banner with student names that earned the Seal of Personal Finance
If a student receives test data after school has ended (AP or IB exams, for example), they still earn the Seal. They can return their diploma to their school to have the Seal of Personal Finance attached. The transcripts would also be updated by the district/school once the tests have been recorded.
Requirement Details & Approved Programs
The curriculum must meet the requirements shown in the Program Rubric in order to be considered as an approved Category 1. This rubric was used to determine the eligibility of programs for this requirement.
The curriculum listed below will note if it includes a personal finance assessment meeting category four’s criterion. It will also note if the program includes additional topics.
| Program | Assessment | Additional Topics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
YES | YES | FREE – WITH LOGIN | |
Financial Literacy for High School from EVERFI | YES | YES | FREE – WITH LOGIN |
YES | YES | PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT | |
Personal Finance Course from Imagine Learning (Formerly Edgenuity) | YES | YES | PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT |
YES | YES | PURCHASE SITE/DISTRICT | |
YES | YES | FREE - WITH LOGIN | |
YES | YES | PURCHASE SITE/DISTRICT | |
Center for Financial Responsibility Personal Financial Literacy Certification Preparation Materials | YES | YES | $40 CERTIFICATION VOUCHER WITH iCEV SUBSCRIPTION |
Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) High School Economics Curriculum on Canvas | NO | YES | FREE – AZ STANDARDS ALIGNED |
Virtual Business Personal Finance from Knowledge Matters | NO | YES | SIMULATION PURCHASED FOR SITE/DISTRICT |
YES | YES | BUY THE COURSE $100 | |
YES | YES | PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT | |
Financial Planning for Young Adults with the University of Illinois through Coursera | NO | YES | CERTIFICATION $49.99 (Subscription) |
The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization with SoFi through Coursera | NO | YES | CERTIFICATION $49.99 (Subscription) |
Personal Finance 101 - Personal Finance for Regular People from Udemy | NO | YES | CERTIFICATION $49.99 (Course) |
YES | YES | Cost: $199 | |
Pathways to Financial Success from Discover | NO | YES | FREE - STUDENT SELF-PACED + TEACHER GUIDE |
MoneyMoments from MidFirst Bank | NO | YES | FREE – STUDENT ACTIVITIES + TEACHER GUIDE |
NO | YES | FREE - READINGS + SELF EXPLORATION | |
Better Money Habits from Bank of America | NO | YES | FREE - READINGS + SELF EXPLORATION |
Hands-on Banking from Wells Fargo | NO | YES | FREE - READINGS + SELF EXPLORATION |
MoneySKILLS from AFSA Education Foundation | YES | YES | FREE - INSTRUCTOR ACCOUNT NEEDED |
Nucleus Financial Literacy Course | YES | YES | PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT |
YES | YES | FREE - WITH LOGIN | |
Take Charge Today from the University of Arizona | YES | YES | FREE - WITH LOGIN |
Budget Challenge Lessons (E-textbook + Lessons) | YES | YES | PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT |
Online Personal Finance Course through ASU | YES | YES | COST FOR STUDENT | COLLEGE CREDIT |
| Curriculum and programs not on this list must be approved by the Arizona Department of Education. Contact [email protected] or the Director of K-12 Social Studies and World and Native Languages. | |||
Must be completed outside of rthe equired economics class or after school hours. It cannot count as a grade.
A professional program that is personal finance related (fits within one or more of the Rubric Topics) and is approved by ADE and the State Board of Education.
Students must have at least 10 hours of commitment. Students may need to complete more than one program or activity to meet this requirement.
| Professional Programs or Activity | General activities |
|---|---|
| The Stock Market Game from Arizona Council on Economic Education (Semester/Year) | Stock Market Simulation |
| Money Minutes from Arizona Council on Economic Education | Intern/Volunteer at an economics-focused organization/government agency/business |
| Financial Fitness in Action from Arizona Council on Economic Education (1.5-2 Hours) | Student Work Experience Project |
| Arizona Economics Challenge from Arizona Council on Economic Education*(Semester/Year Prep) | Running and Operating a Student Store |
| Arizona Personal Finance Challenge from Arizona Council on Economic Education* (Semester/Year Prep) | |
| EconBowl with Youth Economics Initiative | |
| HowtheMarketWorks.com (Stock Market Simulation) | |
| EconOlympiad from Youth Economics Initiative | SUMMER PROGRAMS |
| JA AZ Finance Park (Lessons and Visit) | Economics for Leaders Programs |
| Junior Achievement USA Financial Literacy or Entrepreneurship Programs | Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy |
| Young Finance Scholar from New York Institute of Finance (NYIF) | Environment & the Economy |
| Young Equity Analyst from NYIF | Teach Me Wall Street (3-Week Virtual) |
| Young Sustainability Scholar from NYIF | The Financial Literacy Bootcamp (Two-Day) with NAU Economic Policy Institute |
| BETA Camp (10-Week Virtual Entrepreneurship Program) | |
| Attend AAED Committee Meeting or Event | |
| Attend a Committee on Finance Meeting | |
| Attend a Committee on Commerce Meeting | |
| Create or Join an EconClub | |
| The Personal Financial Literacy Event through DECA (exam and role-play) | |
| School-Based Enterprise (SBE) through DECA | |
| Competitive Events through DECA (Role-Play and Case-Studies, Prepared Events, Online Simulations) | |
| The Financial Literacy Project through DECA (Written entry and interview) | |
| Join or Create a LifeSmarts Varsity Competition Team | |
| LifeSmarts FBLA Challenge | |
| FBLA Virtual Business Scholarship Challenge – Personal Finance | |
| Hands-on Banking® Experience | |
| Invest in Girls from CEE | |
| Urban Plan for High School through ULI | |
| Leadership, Civics, and You Program from Flinn Foundation (contact Dawn Wallace, [email protected]) | |
| Take Charge Cats | |
| Investopedia Simulator | |
| Personal Finance Lab Stock Market Game | |
| Personal Finance Lab Budgeting Game | |
| Bank of America Student Leaders Program | |
| Economic Outlook Conference hosted by Nancy Baca and the Economic Policy Institute at Northern Arizona University | |
| Bank of America Financial Literacy Challenge | |
| 7 Generation Money Management (7GMM) with NAU Economic Policy Institute | |
| Next Gen Personal Finance Documentaries + Worksheets | |
| Financially Inclined Series by Marketplace | |
| Next Gen Personal Finance Arcade Games + Simulations | |
| Earn to Learn Scholarship Work Program | |
| Budget Challenge Lessons (Simulation) | |
| The Arizona Personal Finance Challenge (Arizona Council on Economic Education) | |
| Programs, institutes, and initiatives not on this list must be approved by the Arizona Department of Education. Contact [email protected] or the Director of K-12 Social Studies and World and Native Languages. | |
*Previously, the Mayor’s Challenge for Economic Education
Students must complete one or more of the approved college/career readiness plans. Completion of these plans helps students use the personal finance knowledge they have obtained for future planning.
ECAP, FAFSA, CTE Certification, AVID Elective Course, IEP Future Plan
Obtain a 60% passing score on an assessment(s) from the approved curriculum above or one of the following:
Personal Finance-related Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) Objective Test
Center for Financial Responsibility Personal Financial Literacy Certification
Council for Economic Education Ready Assessments
Create an assessment using district resources curriculum and materials that covers topics from the required curriculum/program. Use the Personal Finance Program Rubric as a guide. Must be approved by the Arizona Department of Education.
EEnd-of-lessonunit unit assessments can be used instead of an end-of-course exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do students need to complete a written reflection in order to receive the seal of personal finance?
- Students do not need to complete a written reflection plan but it is encouraged so students can reflect on why personal finance is important.
- Can my student earn the seal of personal finance for competing AP Economics (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Economics)?
- No, AP Economics does not cover the required topics in personal finance.
- I have a student who has a paying job, can they use this experience for the seal of personal finance?
- Just having a paying job does not qualify a student for the seal of personal finance but districts can develop a work experience project requiring students to call on their personal finance skills (i.e. weekly budget, interviewing owners and workers, journaling). This project should be approved by ADE.
- Does Dual Enrollment Economics meet the requirements of a curriculum?
- Just like AP, Dual Enrollment does not meet the personal finance requirements.
- What courses are required for the 3.0/4.0 GPA?
- Students must take World History, US History, Government, and Economics in order to graduate from high school in Arizona. These are the courses to consider when determining GPA. Other courses are considered elective courses.
