Indiana Personal Finance Standards & Graduation Requirements
Indiana requires a standalone Personal Financial Responsibility course to graduate, beginning with the class of 2028.
Indiana at a glance
- Requirement
- Standalone course required
- Legislation or authority
- SEA 35 (2023) — Personal Financial Responsibility; IC 20-30-5-19
- Passed
- Signed May 2023
- Takes effect
- Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2024-25
- First graduating class affected
- Class of 2028
- Course length
- A standalone Personal Financial Responsibility course
- State standards
- Indiana Academic Standards — Personal Financial Responsibility
What Indiana requires
SEA 35 requires Indiana students to complete a personal financial responsibility course to graduate, applying to students who entered grade 9 in 2024-25 — the class of 2028 and beyond.
IDOE has issued course and career-planning guidance memos to support districts standing the course up.
Last reviewed against official sources on 2026-07-15.
How Rapunzl maps to Indiana standards
Rapunzl's curriculum is built on the Council for Economic Education's six pillars. Here is how they line up with the Indiana framework.
| Indiana strand | CEE pillar | Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|---|
| Income, careers & taxes | Earning Income | Taxes & IncomeCareers In Finance |
| Money management & budgeting | Spending | The Basics Of BankingBuying Your First HomePaying For College |
| Saving & investing | Investing | Welcome To The Stock MarketWhat Makes A Good Stock?ETFs & Mutual Funds |
| Credit & debt management | Managing Credit | The Power & Risks Of CreditHow To Make Loans Work For You |
| Risk management & insurance | Managing Risk | Diversification & RiskInsurance & Retirement |
| Financial decision-making & consumer protection | Financial Decision-Making | Financial StatisticsTop Investor Strategies |
Educators can request a full Indiana standards crosswalk through the Educator Dashboard.
Standards alignment details: how Rapunzl covers Indiana's personal finance standards
A standard-by-standard look at the Indiana framework. 56 standards are covered across 15 Rapunzl modules; each links to its lesson so you can preview exactly what students learn.
Financial Responsibility and Decision Making
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Explain how individuals demonstrate responsibility for financial well-being over a lifetime | Welcome To The Stock MarketSaving Versus Investing |
| b. Analyze ways financial responsibility is different for individuals with and without dependents | Taxes & IncomeThe Economy & Federal ReserveBudgeting & Spending |
| a. Analyze financial information for objectivity, accuracy, relevancy to given needs | What Makes A Good Stock? |
| b. Investigate current types of consumer fraud, including online scams | Saving Versus InvestingThe Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Analyze consumer protection laws for the issues they address and the safeguards they provide | Budgeting & Spending |
| c. Demonstrate steps for resolving a consumer complaint | Budgeting & Spending |
| a. Set measurable short-term, medium-term, and long-term financial goals. | Budgeting & Spending |
| b. Evaluate the results of financial decisions | Budgeting & Spending |
| c. Apply systematic decision making to long-term goals | Budgeting & Spending |
| a. Compare and contrast the benefits of sharing financial goals and personal finance information with a potential partner before forming a partnership | Taxes & Income |
| b. Describe essential elements of a contract | Taxes & Income |
| a. Describe the actions a victim of identity theft can take to restore personal security | Budgeting & Spending |
Relating Income & Careers
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Analyze ways economic, social, cultural, education and political conditions can affect income and career potential | Taxes & IncomeCareers In FinancePaying For College |
| b. Analyze the financial risks and benefits of entrepreneurship as a career choice | Taxes & IncomeCareers In Finance |
| a. Compare and contrast wage, gift, rent, interest, dividend, capital gain, tip, commission, and business profit as sources of personal income | Taxes & Income |
| b. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of participation in government assistance | Insurance & RetirementTaxes & IncomeBudgeting & Spending |
| a. Analyze typical employee benefits and explain why they are a form of compensation | Insurance & Retirement |
| b. Describe benefits of employer sponsored savings plans and other personal options for shifting current income to the future | Welcome To The Stock MarketInsurance & RetirementThe Basics Of Banking |
Planning & Managing Money
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Create a basic budget with categories for income, taxes, planned savings, and fixed and variable expenses | Saving Versus Investing |
| b. Analyze and adjust budget categories to manage spending and achieve financial goals | Saving Versus Investing |
| c. Develop a personal financial plan that shows allocation of income, spending, saving, investing and sharing/giving over a year-long time span | Budgeting & Spending |
| d. Analyze a plan to secure funding for a financial goal (such as college, major consumer purchases, etc.) | Saving Versus InvestingPaying For CollegeThe Basics Of Banking |
| a. Utilize a system to record income and spending | Budgeting & Spending |
| b. Demonstrate record-keeping that utilizes digital financial management systems | Budgeting & Spending |
| a. Evaluate different payment methods | The Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Demonstrate skill in basic financial tasks | Saving Versus InvestingThe Basics Of BankingBudgeting & Spending |
| c. Investigate and demonstrate ability to apply for financial assistance for post-secondary education | Paying For College |
| a. Evaluate impact of external factors on spending decisions | Saving Versus InvestingThe Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Justify consumer buying decisions by evaluating external factors | Saving Versus Investing |
| c. Evaluate opportunity costs (such as owning versus renting a house) | Saving Versus InvestingTaxes & IncomeBuying Your First Home |
| d. Recognize potential threats to sound financial decisions | Saving Versus InvestingBudgeting & Spending |
| a. Demonstrate budgeting financial and other resources to make contributions to a charitable organization | Taxes & IncomeBudgeting & Spending |
| a. Contrast wills, "living wills," trusts and other ways estates can be transferred | Taxes & Income |
| b. Evaluate estate planning tools | Taxes & Income |
Managing Credit & Debt
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Evaluate the cost of borrowing a set amount of money using various types of credit | The Power & Risks Of CreditHow To Make Loans Work For You |
| b. Explain how grace periods, methods of calculating interest, and fees affect borrowing | The Power & Risks Of CreditHow To Make Loans Work For YouBuying Your First HomeThe Basics Of Banking |
| c. Apply systematic decision making to identify the most cost-effective option for making a purchase | Saving Versus InvestingWhat Makes A Good Stock?Budgeting & Spending |
| a. Analyze the effect of positive and negative credit reports on credit worthiness | The Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Illustrate steps to overcome a negative credit report and improve a personal financial future | The Power & Risks Of Credit |
| a. Evaluate the effect of living beyond one’s financial resources | The Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Analyze actions that a consumer can take to reduce or better manage excessive debt | The Power & Risks Of CreditHow To Make Loans Work For You |
| a. Analyze online and printed resources for up-to-date information about consumer credit rights | The Power & Risks Of Credit |
| b. Describe debtors' and creditors’ rights related to debt that is not paid | The Power & Risks Of CreditHow To Make Loans Work For You |
Risk Management & Insurance
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Describe ways people can manage risk through avoidance, reduction, retention, assumption, and transfer of risk | Diversification & RiskInsurance & Retirement |
| a. Analyze the types and amounts of coverage, and features needed, for various stages of life for health, property, life, disability, and liability insurance | Insurance & Retirement |
| b. Analyze factors that can reduce or increase the amount and type of insurance coverage | Insurance & Retirement |
| c. Analyze factors that affect cost of insurance for various types of insurance | Insurance & Retirement |
Saving & Investing
| Indiana standard | Aligned Rapunzl modules |
|---|---|
| a. Analyze effect of saving strategies, including "pay yourself first," payroll deduction, automatic savings options, and reflective spending practices on financial well being | Welcome To The Stock MarketInsurance & RetirementTaxes & Income |
| b. Compare the interest generated by simple and compound interest at various rates | Welcome To The Stock Market |
| a. Compare various investing strategies for their potential to build wealth | Welcome To The Stock MarketWhat Makes A Good Stock?Top Investor Strategies |
| b. Analyze investment possibilities utilizing the principles of time value of money and opportunity costs | Welcome To The Stock MarketHow To Make Loans Work For YouWhat Makes A Good Stock? |
| c. Calculate the end value of lump sum and periodic investments | Welcome To The Stock MarketSaving Versus InvestingWhat Makes A Good Stock? |
| a. Compare advantages and disadvantages of buying and selling investments through various channels, including financial advisors, investment clubs, and online brokers | Welcome To The Stock Market |
| b. Compare the investment objectives and historical rates of return of various Investment options | Welcome To The Stock MarketHow To Make Loans Work For YouWhat Makes A Good Stock?Diversification & Risk |
| a. Analyze the rate of return on investments using time value of money and economic conditions as factors | How To Make Loans Work For YouWhat Makes A Good Stock? |
| b. Calculate the amount of taxes on investments and income tax-free earnings | Taxes & Income |
Standards alignment for Indiana is provided for planning and is updated annually. Educators can request a formatted Indiana standards crosswalk through the Educator Dashboard.
Why Indiana schools choose Rapunzl
Indiana's class of 2028, the students who entered grade 9 in 2024-25, is the first that must complete a stand-alone Personal Financial Responsibility course under SEA 35. Because that cohort is already in high school, the course is being taught now, not planned for later. Rapunzl gives it a spine: a live-market simulator where students manage a $10,000 portfolio, backed by modules that run from a short unit to a year-long sequence. IDOE has issued course and career-planning guidance, and Rapunzl's crosswalks line up with it so a district is not translating standards by hand.
- 100,000+students have completed Rapunzl's curriculum
- 93%average financial literacy scores on national test over past 5 years, 24% above average
- 31interactive modules that can be customized into a course progression for your classroom
- 20+hours of gameplay in 2 interactive mini-games alongside our investment simulator and financial calculators
Teachers work from a dashboard that exports grades and maps each lesson to the Indiana Academic Standards for Personal Financial Responsibility, with materials in English and Spanish that read correctly with a screen reader. Rapunzl's January scholarship competition gives students a reason to keep managing their portfolio once the course ends.
Indiana personal finance requirement FAQ
Indiana requires a standalone Personal Financial Responsibility course to graduate, beginning with the class of 2028.
The requirement is set by SEA 35 (2023) — Personal Financial Responsibility; IC 20-30-5-19.
Takes effect: Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2024-25.
A standalone Personal Financial Responsibility course.
Indiana's requirement is a standalone course requirement.
In practice that means a dedicated class of its own, taken for credit, rather than a few personal finance lessons folded into another subject.
The Class of 2028 is the first graduating class that has to meet it, so earlier classes are not held to the requirement.
Timeline: Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2024-25.
If you are planning a course now, that timeline is the window to have curriculum in place before Indiana starts holding students to it.
Indiana Academic Standards — Personal Financial Responsibility.
Rapunzl is built on the Council for Economic Education's six pillars: earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit, and managing risk. Indiana's Personal Financial Responsibility standards cover the same topics, so the crosswalk above ties each standard to the modules that teach it.
Yes. Rapunzl's modules and live simulator cover the six CEE pillars, and those map onto the Indiana strands on this page, so the stand-alone Personal Financial Responsibility course has curriculum ready for the class of 2028.
Students learn by trading a simulated $10,000 in real market conditions, and teachers manage the class from a dashboard with grade export, bilingual materials, and screen-reader support.
Request a demo and we'll send the Indiana crosswalk plus classroom access so you can see how it fills the required course.
Bring Rapunzl to your Indiana classroom
Explore the curriculum and real-time simulator free for 30 days. Tell us about your school and we'll send your all-access demo along with the Indiana standards crosswalk.
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