State review · Data version 2026.10.19.5 · October 2026

Washington

K-8 standards only

Washington's K-12 financial education learning standards, initially adopted by OSPI in May 2026, include grade-level standards for K-5 and a grade band for 6-8, but the statute read only requires districts to give grade 9-12 students the opportunity to access them. OSPI materials say K-5 teachers may consider incorporating the standards, and a May 2026 bulletin says the standards are expected to be required to be taught beginning in 2028-29 once finally adopted.

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 9
Grade range: grades 9-12

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: None found
Standards document: Initial Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Financial Education (2026)
Required by law: No
Delivery: Embedded in another subject
Assessed: Not determined
Funded: Not determined

The May 2026 initial-adoption standards include K-5 grade-level standards and a 6-8 grade band. OSPI bulletin 018-26 says final adoption is expected before January 2027 and that the standards would be required to be taught in the 2028-29 school year; that bulletin does not say to whom or in which grades, and no statute or rule text requiring instruction in a named K-8 grade was read, so this is a judgement call and the status stays at standards-only. An older OSPI FAQ (2023) says K-5 teachers may consider incorporating the standards and 6-12 teachers may be required to depending on the courses they teach. RCW 28A.300.462(1) only encourages districts to voluntarily adopt the national standards.

Grades 9-12

Graduation requirement: No
Course length: Not stated
Effective date: Not stated

RCW 28A.300.468(2) requires districts to give all students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to access the financial education standards and encourages (but does not require) granting graduation credit for financial education courses. Bills to make financial education a graduation requirement (HB 1285, SB 5849) had not been enacted as of the bill pages read.

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 1285 (2025-26 biennium (2025 Regular Session; retained in 2026)): Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools.. Status: Passed the House 94-3 on 2025-03-05; returned from Senate committee to House Rules by resolution on 2025-04-27; reintroduced and retained in present status 2026-01-12; current status HRules 3C.
SB 5849 (2025-26 biennium (2026 Regular Session)): Making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.. Status: Public hearing held in Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education on 2026-02-04; no later action shown.

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

Washington State Legislature (Revised Code of Washington). RCW 28A.300.468(2). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“School districts shall provide all students in grades nine through twelve the opportunity to access the financial education standards,”
Washington State Legislature (Revised Code of Washington). RCW 28A.300.468(2). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“School districts are encouraged to grant credit toward high school graduation to students who successfully complete financial education courses.”
Washington State Legislature (Revised Code of Washington). RCW 28A.300.462(1). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“School districts are encouraged to voluntarily adopt the jumpstart coalition national standards in K-12 personal finance education”
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. OSPI Bulletin No. 018-26 (May 7, 2026), Initial Adoption of Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Financial Education. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“School districts and teachers can begin implementation efforts of the initial standards at their own pace”
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. OSPI Bulletin No. 018-26 (May 7, 2026). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“before the standards are required to be taught in the 2028–29 school year.”
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Initial Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Financial Education (May 2026), Kindergarten, FE.K.SP.1. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“FE.K.SP.1 Students will know that money can be spent to meet an individual's wants and needs or to share the cost of goods and services.”
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Initial Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Financial Education (May 2026), Middle School (Grades 6–8), FE.MS.EI.1. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“FE.MS.EI.1 Students will know that careers are based on working at jobs in the same occupation or profession for many years.”
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. OSPI, Financial Education Standards Frequently Asked Questions (2023). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“Teachers of K–5 students may consider ways to incorporate the financial education standards into their classes.”
Washington State Legislature. HB 1285, 2025-26 biennium, bill summary. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“HB 1285 - 2025-26 Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools.”
Washington State Legislature. SB 5849, 2025-26 biennium, bill summary. Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
“SB 5849 - 2025-26 Making financial education a graduation requirement in Washington state.”
Washington State Legislature (Revised Code of Washington). RCW 28A.655.070(15). Primary source. Retrieved 2026-10-19.
“The superintendent shall integrate financial education skills and content knowledge into the state learning standards pursuant to RCW 28A.300.460(2)(d).”

Open items are being reviewed.

Searched RCW 28A.300.460, .462, .468 and 28A.230.090 (graduation requirements; no financial education text found in the page read) on app.leg.wa.gov. The WAC 180-51 graduation rules and the 2027 session bill list were not checked, and the 2027 legislative session has not begun, so pending_bills lists only the two 2025-26 bills found; other bills may exist. The OSPI FAQ is dated 2023 and predates the May 2026 initial adoption. Flagged on 2026-10-19: OSPI Bulletin 018-26 says the standards will be required to be taught in the 2028-29 school year after final adoption, without naming who requires it or which grades. Not rule text; if final adoption or a rule names K-8 grades the status becomes k8_requirement.

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