On Oct. 9, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed HB 203, a bill that requires high school students to complete, at a minimum, a half credit course on financial literacy in order to graduate. 

Delaware is the 30th state to require a course dedicated to personal financial literacy for high school students. By 2030, more than 75 percent of U.S. high school students will be guaranteed to take a Personal Finance course.

Representative Jeff Hilovsky (R - Oak Orchard, Long Neck, Angola) was the primary sponsor of the bill, which was also sponsored by a bipartisan group of 17 Representatives and Senators.

Rep. Jeff Hilovsky said, “I believe passing Financial Literacy legislation as a graduation requirement for all Delaware high school students is a big win for the students, teachers, families, businesses, the economy, and a big win for Delaware!”

The policy begins with students entering ninth grade in the 2026–2027 school year, and requires instruction that aligns to the financial literacy standards for grades 9-12, approved by the Delaware Department of Education.

Rep. Timothy Dukes said, “Financial literacy is about impacting our students in Delaware. This is potentially the most important educational piece of legislation in the last decade in our state. Dr. Jeff Hilovsky has worked tirelessly to get this legislation through. Our caucus is grateful this bill has such tremendous bipartisan support.” 

A coalition of educators, students, parents, and advocacy groups, including the NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, an affiliate of Next Gen Personal Finance,  championed the bill and testified in support of it. 

“This law is a promise to Delaware families,” said Yanely Espinal, Director of Educational Outreach at Next Gen Personal Finance. “Guaranteeing that every high schooler in the state takes a Personal Finance class means they’ll have the tools to make confident financial decisions, no matter what pathway they choose to pursue after high school.”

Supporters of the bill include the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE) at the University of Delaware, the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), and YourMoney101.org.

A partnership between nonprofit organizations, Next Gen Personal Finance and YourMoney101, will provide $50,000 in teacher stipends for 100 educators in Delaware, directly supporting efforts to expand access to high-quality financial literacy instruction statewide.

“So much is working against today’s young adults—credit card offers at 18; online gambling at 21; the ability to spend an entire paycheck and go into debt from your couch; and algorithms designed to separate you from your money,” said Mark Olazagasti, Founder & CEO of YourMoney101.org. “Requiring financial literacy in Delaware high schools is in the best interest of our students and will greatly benefit future generations.”

“The passage of this graduation requirement is an exciting step toward our shared vision of seeing students graduate as informed, productive citizens—ready to make sound financial decisions that contribute to their own prosperity and the well-being of the world,” said Dr. Carlos J. Asarta, President of the Delaware Council on Economic Education. “We remain dedicated to assisting educators and students with the resources, programs, and professional learning necessary to ensure the successful implementation of this requirement.”

Jeffrey Peet, a financial education teacher at Sussex Central High School in Georgetown, shared, “Every time I tell people what I teach, they respond with, ‘I wish I had that class.’ This is a long time coming. No more wishing, thanks to the hard work of so many.”

Research shows that students who take a Personal Finance course make better long-term financial decisions and see improvements in credit scores and debt management. 

A recent report estimates that this one-semester course can provide a lifetime benefit of about $116,000 per student in Delaware.

NGPF supports more than 132,000 educators nationwide, including over 650 teachers in the state of Delaware, by providing free curriculum and free teacher professional development.

The NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, a nonprofit that advocates for this policy in all states, was a supporter of the bill.

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.