The seven NYC Honor Academy lessons cover these NYSED topics:
budgeting and money management, credit and debt management, earning income, risk
management, and saving and investing. Of NYSED's 33 grade 9 to 12
learning objectives, the lessons cover 10, cover part of 13,
and don't reach 10 yet. The course is a free supplement, not a full
semester, and your district decides what fits its plan.
What New York requires
Under the Commissioner's regulations, 8 NYCRR 100.2(c)(13), public schools must give
high school students personal finance instruction by the end of grade 12, starting in
the 2026-27 school year. The rule took permanent effect on March 25, 2026. Districts and
charter schools verify to the Commissioner that they have done it for 2026-27, 2027-28
and 2028-29
(NYSED).
NYSED does not mandate specific curricula. It publishes grade-banded
learning objectives to help
schools plan, and asks that they be taught in ways that protect student data.
The five topics, lesson by lesson
| NYSED topic | Lessons | What they teach |
|---|
| Budgeting and Money Management | Module 01 | a budget when pay comes in lumps, fixed and variable costs, tracking, paying safely, buying smart, giving |
| Credit and Debt Management | Module 06 | credit reports and scores, cards under 21, APR and what a balance costs, buy now pay later |
| Earning Income | Module 02, Module 03 | reading an NIL deal, NIL pay as self-employment income, self-employment tax, filing |
| Risk Management | Module 07, Module 06 | how insurance works, premiums and deductibles, health, auto, renters and disability coverage, New York's auto minimums, scams and identity theft |
| Saving and Investing | Module 04, Module 05, Module 01 | saving first, compound growth, inflation, stocks, bonds and funds, diversification, bank and brokerage accounts, the Roth IRA |
Grade 9 to 12 learning objectives
Each row is one of NYSED's grade 9 to 12 objectives, shortened to a few words; the
full wording is on NYSED's
page. Covered means a lesson teaches the objective's main idea.
Partly means it teaches some of it, and the row says what is missing.
Not yet means the course doesn't reach it.
Topic 1: Budgeting and Money Management
| Objective | What it asks for (our short label) | Lessons | Course |
|---|
| 1.1 | Build and track a budget with fixed and variable expenses | Module 01 | Covered |
| 1.2 | Evaluate purchases: cost, features, marketing and social mediaCost over time, unit price, "was" prices, triggers and paid posts are taught; environmental and social impact are not. | Module 01, Module 06 | Partly |
| 1.3 | Compare renting and buying a home; key lease terms | | Not yet |
| 1.4 | Evaluate charitable giving and the groups you give to | Module 01 | Covered |
Topic 2: Credit and Debt Management
| Objective | What it asks for (our short label) | Lessons | Course |
|---|
| 2.1 | Good debt and bad debt | | Not yet |
| 2.2 | Credit card APR, fees and terms; avoiding fees and rate increasesAPR, grace periods, minimum payments and losing a low rate are taught; comparing rewards is not. | Module 06 | Partly |
| 2.3 | Secured and unsecured loans, collateralSecured credit cards are mentioned only. | | Not yet |
| 2.4 | Paying for college: federal and private student loans | | Not yet |
| 2.5 | Financial aid: grants, scholarships, TAP, FAFSA | | Not yet |
| 2.6 | Credit reports and scores, building credit, free reports | Module 06 | Covered |
| 2.7 | What happens when debt is not repaid; getting helpLate payments on credit reports and nonprofit credit counseling are taught; effects on jobs and housing are named only. | Module 06 | Partly |
| 2.8 | Payday loans and check cashing | | Not yet |
Topic 3: Earning Income
| Objective | What it asks for (our short label) | Lessons | Course |
|---|
| 3.1 | Employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement plansModule 07 covers health insurance, but not comparing job benefits. | | Not yet |
| 3.2 | Income and non-income factors in career choices | | Not yet |
| 3.3 | Earnings and unemployment by career and education | | Not yet |
| 3.4 | How inflation and the economy affect incomeInflation is taught; recessions and labor markets are not. | Module 04 | Partly |
| 3.5 | Gig work and small-business ownershipNIL work as self-employment: contracts, self-employment tax and filing. Running a business is not. | Module 02, Module 03 | Partly |
| 3.6 | Complete a practice tax return from a W-2Module 03 covers when and why to file, not the form. | | Not yet |
| 3.7 | Taxes and deductions on a pay stub, Social Security and MedicareSelf-employment tax is explained as Social Security and Medicare; pay stubs are not. | Module 03 | Partly |
Topic 4: Risk Management
| Objective | What it asks for (our short label) | Lessons | Course |
|---|
| 4.1 | Types of insurance: auto, health, life, disability, home, rentersAuto, health, renters and disability are taught; life insurance is not. | Module 07 | Partly |
| 4.2 | New York's minimum auto liability insurance, and whether it is enough | Module 07 | Covered |
| 4.3 | Health insurance options; premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance; insurance fraudA parent's plan, New York's Age 29 option and all four cost terms are taught; Medicare, Medicaid and insurance fraud are not. | Module 07 | Partly |
| 4.4 | Scams and online behavior that lead to identity theft and fraud | Module 06 | Covered |
| 4.5 | Reducing identity theft risk and what to do after it happens | Module 06 | Covered |
Topic 5: Saving and Investing
| Objective | What it asks for (our short label) | Lessons | Course |
|---|
| 5.1 | Saving versus investing, and short- and long-term goals | Module 04, Module 05 | Covered |
| 5.2 | Strategies to reach saving goals, including behavior | Module 01 | Covered |
| 5.3 | Compare savings, high-yield savings, checking and other accountsChecking, savings and high-yield savings, and fees, are taught; money market and mobile-only accounts are not compared. | Module 05, Module 01 | Partly |
| 5.4 | Open and manage a bank account; direct deposit and appsAutomatic transfers and payment apps are taught; opening an account and direct deposit are not walked through. | Module 01, Module 05 | Partly |
| 5.5 | Why investing earlier builds more wealth | Module 04 | Covered |
| 5.6 | Tax-advantaged accounts: 529, IRAs, 401(k), pensions, HSAsThe Roth IRA is taught; the others are not. | Module 05 | Partly |
| 5.7 | Stocks, bonds, index and mutual funds, crypto, real estate: risk and returnStocks, bonds, funds and index funds are taught; crypto appears only as a scam warning, and real estate is not covered. | Module 04 | Partly |
| 5.8 | Set investment goals using timeline, risk tolerance and diversification | Module 04, Module 05 | Covered |
| 5.9 | Consumer rights and remedies for financial disputesCard dispute rights and where to report fraud are taught; small claims court is not. | Module 01, Module 06 | Partly |
Teaching it
- Free class materials. The teacher kit has a
45-minute plan, a printable worksheet, a five-question pre/post quiz, discussion
questions and answer keys for every lesson.
- A one-period budget simulator. The free Budget
Simulator covers four of the five topics in one class: a first paycheck with
2026 taxes (earning income), needs, wants and savings (budgeting), a credit card
(credit and debt) and an emergency fund and compound growth (saving and
investing).
- No student data. Students open a lesson on a phone or you project it.
Nobody makes an account, and we never ask a student for a name or an email.
What the site collects.
- Free to adapt. The lessons, quizzes, worksheets and teacher kit are
licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0:
copy and adapt them for your class, with credit to NYC Honor Foundation, not for
sale, and shared the same way.
- National standards too. See how the lessons line
up with the National Standards for Personal Financial Education, and
what every state requires.
Open the free course
Educational content only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
This is NYC Honor Foundation's own match of its lessons to NYSED's published topics and
objectives. NYSED has not reviewed or approved it, and NYC Honor Foundation is not
affiliated with NYSED. Your district decides how it delivers the required instruction.
Built by NYC Honor Foundation volunteers. Spot a mistake? Email
eslyn@nychonor.org.
Sources
- 8 NYCRR 100.2(c)(13), as adopted by the Board of Regents, March 2026.
- NYSED, Personal Finance Education; Personal Finance Education FAQ; Personal Finance
Education Learning Objectives, grades 9-12, nysed.gov (read October 10, 2026).