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  • Seal of Personal Finance

Seal of Personal Finance

Back to the Diploma Seals Page

SOPF Black and White.jpg

SOPF Black and White.jpg

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)

  • Arizona Seal of Personal Finance Program Board Rule

  • Seal of Personal Finance Information Presentation

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. 

  • 2023-2024
  • 2022-2023
  • 2021-2022

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. 

Transparent-5-Components-of-Personal-Finance-1-1024x943.png

Transparent-5-Components-of-Personal-Finance-1-1024x943.png
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

  1. Seal of Personal Finance Checklist
  2. Seal of Personal Finance Flyer
  3. National Standards of Financial Literacy
    • Created by the Council for Economic Education 

A+ Charter School
Academy of Tucson High School
Agua Fria Union High School District
Amphitheater Public Schools
Apache Junction Unified School District
ASU Prep Casa Grande High School
ASU Prep Phoenix High School
ASU Prep Polytechnic High School
ASU Prep South Phoenix High School
ASU Preparatory Academy - Digital
BASIS Charter Schools Inc. 
Buckeye Union High School District
Cave Creek Unified School District
Chandler Unified School District
Cholla Academy Brighton Charter
Colorado City Unified School District #14
Coolidge Unified School District
Country Gardens Charter School
Deer Valley Unified School District
Dysart Unified School District

Edkey, INC. - Sequoia Charter Secondary
Espiritu CDC
Flagstaff Unified School District
Fredonia Moccasin School District

Gila Bend Unified School District
Gilbert Public Schools
Heritage Academy, Inc. 
Insight Academy of Arizona and Arizona Virtual Academy 
Kingman Academy of Learning
Kingman Unified School District
Liberty High School District
Marana Unified School District 
Mesa Public Schools
Mesa Public Schools 
Mingus Union High School District
New School for the Arts
Nogales Unified School District #1
Paradise Honors High School
Paradise Valley School District
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Peoria Unified School District 
Phoenix Union High School District
Pinon Unified School District #4
Presidio School
Queen Creek Unified School District

Saddle Mountain Unified
Sahuarita Unified School District
Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35
Scottsdale Unified School District
Seligman Unified School District #40
Sequoia Pathway Academy
Sonoran Schools
Sunnyside Unified School District

Tanque Verde High School
Tempe Union High School District
Tolleson Union High School District
Tombstone High School
Tucson Unified School District
Vail Unified School District
Yuma Union High School District #70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.   

ProgramAssessmentAdditional TopicsNotes

NextGen Personal Finance  

YES

YES

FREE – WITH LOGIN 

Financial Literacy for High School from EVERFI 

YES

YES

FREE – WITH LOGIN 

Edmentum Personal and Family Finance 

YES

YES

PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT 

Personal Finance Course from Imagine Learning (Formerly Edgenuity)

YES

YES

PURCHASE FOR SITE/DISTRICT

Savvas Personal Financial Literacy 

YES

YES

PURCHASE SITE/DISTRICT

Intuit Personal Finance Course

YES

YES

FREE - WITH LOGIN

Personal Finance Lab

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 

Money Vehicle Program  

YES

YES

BUY THE COURSE $100 

Foundations in Personal Finance 

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) 

BYU Financial Literacy for High School 

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 

360 Degrees of Financial Literacy  

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

Banzai Financial Education

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

Junior Achievement Personal Finance 2.0YESYESFREE In-Person or Virtual Volunteer-Led Lessons
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 ActivityGeneral 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
Junior Achievement ProgramsEconomics 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

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. Does Dual Enrollment Economics meet the requirements of a curriculum?
    • Just like AP, Dual Enrollment does not meet the personal finance requirements. 
  5. 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. 
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