Is personal finance required to graduate in Virginia?

Yes

Virginia guarantees it. Every student must complete at least a one-semester standalone personal finance course to graduate, required since the Class of 2015. If you're in school in Virginia today, the requirement applies to you.

What this means for students in Virginia

How Virginia compares

Neighboring states, and whether each one guarantees the course.

Status data from Next Gen Personal Finance's Live U.S. Dashboard, July 2026. "Guaranteed" means every student must take at least a one-semester standalone personal finance course to graduate. See the full interactive map of all 50 states.

The national picture

30

states guarantee a standalone personal finance course before graduation.

21

states plus D.C. still don't, so it comes down to the district a student lives in.

76%

of U.S. public high schoolers will be covered once every current law finishes phasing in.

You don't have to wait for a law

120 lessons across budgeting, banking, credit, investing, taxes and insurance. Free for every student in Virginia.

Questions about Virginia

What does a personal finance course in Virginia usually cover?

State personal finance standards are generally built around the same core topics: budgeting, banking, credit and debt, investing, taxes, and insurance. Finlingo's 120-lesson path covers all six across six units, so it lines up with most state frameworks whether or not Virginia mandates a course.

Can Virginia students use Finlingo for free?

Yes. Finlingo is free for every student, teacher, and chapter advisor in Virginia and everywhere else. There are no ads and no paid tier. Students make a free account and can join a teacher's class with a code.

Does Finlingo help with DECA and FBLA competition in Virginia?

Yes. Competition Prep is a separate track from the lesson path: 717 exam-style questions across 27 business and finance topics, an endless shuffled practice mode, scored tests from 10 to 100 questions, and a review bank for missed questions. Virginia chapters can also compete on the state and national leaderboards.