State review · Data version 2026.10.19.5 · October 2026

Connecticut

Requirement, grades not specified

Connecticut General Statute 10-16b(a) says the public school program of instruction shall include personal financial management and financial literacy, without naming a grade, and 10-16b(c) requires an annual attestation that the program is offered. The only grade-specific requirement found is the half credit for the class of 2027 in 10-221a(d)(6), and the K-8 model curriculum in 10-25b may be used in whole or in part.

Statuses come from published law and standards and an automated second check, not a lawyer. Last verified: 2026-10-19. Report a correction

What the law says

Requirement coverage

Earliest grade covered: Not specified
Grade range: No grade or grade range is named

Describes the instruction requirement found in law, not the standards. It may reach at least one grade before ninth (the earliest grade is shown, and some start only in grade 6 or 7), no grade at all (not specified), or high school only. \u201cOffer courses\u201d means the law says districts must offer the courses or instruction, not that every student must receive it.

Grades K-8

Grades where K-8 content was confirmed: None found
Standards document: Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards (2023)
Required by law: Not determined
Delivery: Embedded in another subject
Assessed: Not determined
Funded: Not determined

10-16b(a) lists personal financial management and financial literacy among subjects the public school program of instruction 'shall include' and 10-16b(c) requires boards to attest annually that they offer that program, but neither names grades or minutes. 10-25b(b) says the K-8 model curriculum must be in accordance with 10-16b and must include and integrate personal financial management and financial literacy, but the model curriculum 'may be used in whole or in part' by any board, so it is voluntary. The 2023 social studies standards contain K-8 economics standards touching banks, earning income and budgeting (K.Eco.9.a, K.Eco.6.a, 2.Eco.1.a) and no stand-alone personal finance strand was found. The CSDE Finance/CTE personal finance page (portal.ct.gov) returned a 404 page and the course kit and crosswalks found are high school or CTE guidance.

Grades 9-12

Graduation requirement: Yes
Course length: One-half credit in personal financial management and financial literacy (may count toward humanities or STEM credits or as an elective)
Effective date: Classes graduating in 2027 and each class thereafter

Section 10-221a(d)(6), within the 25 credits required for graduation.

What’s missing for K-8

The sources reviewed show a requirement to provide personal-finance instruction that names no grade, so it is not confirmed to reach K-8.

Pending bills

No pending bills were identified. This is not an exhaustive legislative search.

How to read the status

Status key

Requirement before grade 9: A statute or rule requires financial education and reaches at least one grade before ninth. Some start only in grade 6 or 7; the earliest grade is shown with the label.
Requirement, grades not specified: A statute or rule says students shall receive financial-literacy instruction but names no grade, so it is not confirmed to reach K-8.
K-8 standards only: State standards name a personal-finance concept at two or more K-8 grade levels, but no requirement to teach it was found.
No K-8 personal-finance standards found: A high school requirement exists, but no requirement for any grade before ninth and no K-8 standards naming a personal-finance concept at two or more grade levels were found. This describes what was found, not proof that none exist.
Study or pilot only: A task force, study, pilot, or unfunded permission exists, without a requirement.
None found: No state-level requirement or standards were found. The searches run are recorded.
Under review: Not yet confirmed. Sources found so far are shown and no status is stated.
Research in progress: This state has not been researched yet.

Sources

Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16b(a) (as amended by P.A. 23-21); the listed subject matter includes personal financial management and financial literacy. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16b(c) (annual attestation by each local and regional board). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“offers at least the program of instruction required pursuant to this section, and that such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16b(d) (list includes (6) personal financial management, including financial literacy as developed in the plan under 10-16pp). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“shall assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) Holocaust and genocide education and awareness;”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-25b(a) (model curriculum, may be used in whole or in part by any board). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“shall develop a model curriculum for grades kindergarten to grade eight, inclusive”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-25b(b)(2); (b)(3)(F) adds personal financial management and financial literacy to the content the model curriculum must include and integrate. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“be in accordance with the program of instruction and subject matter requirements prescribed in section 10-16b”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16pp(a). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“may develop a plan to provide to each student of a public high school or a constituent unit”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-221a(d)(6). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-17; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_170.htm.
“one-half credit in personal financial management and financial literacy, which may count towards the requirement”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-221a(d). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-17; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_170.htm.
“Commencing with classes graduating in 2027, and for each graduating class thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall permit”
Connecticut State Department of Education. Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards (2023), introduction. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“the legislation required the model curriculum to include and integrate the subject matter prescribed in section 10-16b of the general statutes”
Connecticut State Department of Education. Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards (2023), K.Eco.9.a. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“Describe the role of banks in a community (e.g., lending, saving,”
Connecticut State Department of Education. Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards (2023), K.Eco.6.a. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“Describe how people in the community earn income”
Connecticut State Department of Education. Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards (2023), 2.Eco.1.a. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“Explain how scarcity and abundance influences decision-making in the community (e.g., budgeting, rationing).”
Connecticut State Board of Education. Connecticut State Board of Education minutes, October 4, 2023, item VII.B. (document marked DRAFT; motion carried unanimously). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“Chair Dubois-Walton called a vote to adopt the Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards.”
Connecticut State Board of Education. Connecticut State Board of Education minutes, November 1, 2023, item IV.A. (document itself marked DRAFT; motion carried unanimously). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“that the Board adopt the minutes of the October 4, 2023, State Board of Education Meeting.”
Connecticut State Department of Education. CSDE Financial Literacy Course Kit (guidance), p. 1, describing P.A. 23-21 / C.G.S. 10-221a. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“local and regional boards of education to provide learning opportunities for all students to accumulate one-half credit in personal financial management and financial literacy courses”
Connecticut General Assembly (current statutes, archived copy). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16b(a) (subject matter list, as amended by P.A. 23-21). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“consumer education; personal financial management and financial literacy; health and safety”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-16b(a); list includes "personal financial management and financial literacy". Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“In the public schools the program of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter”
Connecticut General Assembly (Internet Archive copy of cga.ct.gov). Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-25b(a) (model curriculum; voluntary use; not counted). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-10-09; original agency address: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_164.htm.
“shall develop a model curriculum for grades kindergarten to grade eight, inclusive, that may be used in whole or in part by any”

Open items are being reviewed.

Checked today: statute text of 10-16b, 10-16pp, 10-25b (chapter 164) and 10-221a (chapter 170); all prior statute excerpts are verbatim in the text. The 2023 standards PDF was re-read and prior excerpts hold. Adoption: the October 4, 2023 minutes (marked draft) record a unanimous vote, and the November 1, 2023 minutes (also marked draft) record a unanimous vote adopting the October 4 minutes; no document not marked draft was found. Not read: the Grade 8 crosswalk contents. Coded requirement_grades_unspecified under the 2026-10-19 methodology: operative language (shall include) with no grade. The statute was read from Internet Archive copies of the General Assembly's chapter pages because cga.ct.gov fails certificate verification for the fetcher. What would turn it into a K-8 requirement: a State Department of Education or State Board statement, a regulation or a court or Attorney General reading naming grades.

Suggested citation
CENTS. Connecticut: K-8 financial education. State-by-state review, v2026.10.19.5, October 2026. https://www.centscampaign.org/states/ct