State review · Data version 2026.10.19.5 · October 2026

Georgia

K-8 standards only

Georgia's social studies standards (Georgia Standards of Excellence) include personal finance content in every grade from kindergarten through 8, for example saving and spending in grades 1-3 and a personal budget in grades 4-5. The only financial literacy statute read (Georgia Code 20-2-149.4, enacted by 2022 SB 220) is a half-credit course in grade 11 or 12, and no K-8 financial literacy requirement was found.

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: Grade 11
Grade range: grades 11-12

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: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Standards document: Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies (K-8 economics strand)
Required by law: Not determined
Delivery: Not stated
Assessed: Not determined
Funded: Not determined

Personal finance content sits inside the social studies economics strand: SSKE3 (money buys goods and services), SS1E4 (save and spend choices), SS2E4 (costs and benefits of saving and spending), SS3E4 (opportunity cost of a saving or spending choice), SS4E2 and SS5E4 (personal budget), SS6E13 and SS7E10 (living within income, budgeting, saving, credit) and SS8E3 (personal money management). Read from an archived copy of the Department's CASE framework. The earlier claim that the standards are the 'required minimum' could not be re-verified (gadoe.org page has no readable text) and is not relied on. No statute or State Board rule specific to K-8 financial literacy was found; the only statute read is the 2022 enrolled SB 220 text.

Grades 9-12

Graduation requirement: Yes
Course length: half-credit course in financial literacy, during grade 11 or 12
Effective date: 2024-2025 school year

O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.4 (SB 220, 2022) directs the State Board of Education to adopt content standards and requires each local board to require the course as a condition of graduation; it may be provided within existing coursework and may count toward a mathematics, social studies, or elective unit.

What’s missing for K-8

State standards name personal-finance concepts at two or more K-8 grade levels, but the sources reviewed did not show a requirement to teach them.

Pending bills

HB 674 (2025-2026): Would amend O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.4 to require financial literacy and money management content standards and instruction in grades four and five. Status: Not on the Governor's 2026 signed-legislation list or 2026 vetoed list as read on 2026-10-19; legislative action history not readable (legis.ga.gov bot check), so passage or failure is not confirmed from the legislature.

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

Office of the Governor of Georgia (signed legislation). O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.4(b), as enacted by SB 220 (2022), as passed. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“as a condition of graduation, during their eleventh or twelfth grade years to”
Office of the Governor of Georgia (signed legislation). O.C.G.A. 20-2-149.4(a), as enacted by SB 220 (2022), as passed. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“The State Board of Education shall adopt content standards for a minimum course of”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SSKE3 (kindergarten). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Explain how money is used to purchase goods and services.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS1E4 (grade 1). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Explain that people earn income by working and that they must make choices about how much to save and spend.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS2E4 (grade 2). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Describe the costs and benefits of personal saving and spending choices.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS3E4 (grade 3). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Explain the concept of opportunity cost as it relates to making a saving or spending choice.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS4E2 (grade 4) and SS5E4 (grade 5). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Identify the elements of a personal budget (income, expenditures, and saving) and explain why personal spending and saving decisions are important.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS6E13 (grade 6) and SS7E10 (grade 7). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Understand that a basic principle of effective personal money management is to live within one's income.”
Georgia Department of Education (CASE standards framework, archived copy). Georgia Standards of Excellence, Social Studies, SS8E3 (grade 8). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19. Archived copy captured 2026-06-19; original agency address: https://case.georgiastandards.org/ims/case/v1p0/CFPackages/a446e74c-463e-11e7-94f5-b49cee8b2d8c.
“Explain the principles of effective personal money management.”
Georgia State Auditor and Office of Planning and Budget. Fiscal Note, House Bill 674 (LC 61 0166), State Auditor and Office of Planning and Budget, 2026-01-07. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“social studies standards for grades four and five already include content related to financial literacy and money management.”
Georgia official source (rules.sos.ga.gov). Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.49 (HS graduation, 2023-24 entrants), social studies para. 5. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“one-half Unit of Credit in Personal Finance and Economics (45.06100) or its Equivalent Substitute.”
Georgia official source (rules.sos.ga.gov). Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 160-4-2-.05(2)(g) (no financial content named). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“Each middle school student shall complete at least one Connections class each grading period or term.”

Open items are being reviewed.

Re-read 2026-10-19: SB 220 enrolled text and the HB 674 fiscal note verified verbatim; K-8 standards verified in an archived copy of the CASE framework (live host now returns a bot check; not worked around). The legis.ga.gov HB 674 bill text source was dropped because it could not be re-read; the gadoe.org 'required minimum' source was dropped because the page returned no readable text. Confidence medium because the codified statute and State Board rules could not be read directly and HB 674 disposition is unconfirmed from the legislature; HB 674 is absent from the Governor's 2026 signed and vetoed lists, which is consistent with it not having been enacted but is not proof.

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