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Oregon’s Diploma Requirements for Financial Education and College/Career Planning (SB3)

Personal Financial Education Requirements and Higher Education and Career Path Skills Requirement

With the passage of Senate Bill 3, beginning with the class of 2027, the Oregon diploma requirements will include 0.5 credit in Personal Financial Education and 0.5 credit in Higher Education and Career Path Skills. Visit the Overview of Requirements Page to learn more about these new requirements.

If you have any questions, please contact ODE.StateGraduationRequirements@ode.oregon.gov

Implementation ​​Manual Regarding Oregon's Newest Diploma Requirements 
​This document provides guidance on the implementation of the content areas for Personal Financial Education and Higher Education and Career Path Skills, in accordance with Senate Bill 3 (ORS 329.451) and OAR 581-021-003. ​


Frequently Asked Questions about Oregon's Newest Diploma Requirements ​

This is a companion document to the Senate Bill 3 Implementation Manual which provides clarification to districts and schools on the requirements related to the content areas of Personal Financial Education (PFE) and Higher Education and Career Path Skills (HECPS), in accordance with SB 3 (ORS 329.451) and OAR 581-021-003. This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is organized into broad categories to help districts easily navigate to​ the information they need on a topic for supporting implementation and will continue to be updated.​


Tools for Communicating Oregon's Newest Diploma Requirements​​ ​​​​​

This document is intended to support districts in communicating Oregon's new graduation requirements to their students, families, and community, reflecting our shared commitment to education.​

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Guidance for Personal Financial Education in Secondary CTE​​

This document provides guidance on how Personal Financial Education (PFE) courses can be structured to meet PFE and Career Technical Education program requirements.

Tax Presentation by Oregon Department of Revenue

A new offering by the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) aims to address this issue early on by providing an in-person classroom presentation to help high school students better understand income taxes and their responsibilities in the process.

This offering from DOR provides a great opportunity for Oregon schools to enhance their implementation of the new Personal Financial Education curriculum.

Details
  • The DOR presentation lasts approximately 45 minutes.
  • DOR staff members will walk students through the entire personal income tax process, including why and how we pay taxes; explaining terms like income, deductions, and credits; and explaining the importance of filing a return.
  • The presentation includes details about using Form W-4 for income tax withholding; how income and taxes withheld are reported on Form W-2 and Form 1099; filing state and federal income tax returns; and paying additional tax owed or receiving a refund.
  • Students will learn what forms to use to file their federal taxes with the IRS and their state taxes with DOR.
Educators interested in having a DOR representative make a presentation in their school can contact Chelse Leavitt at outreach.dor@dor.oregon.gov

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Report by Oregon Kitchen Table (rev. 8/6/24)​

Between December 2023 and April 2024, the Oregon Department of Education again partnered with Oregon’s Kitchen Table (OKT) inform the development of instructional standards for these two requirements, with a particular focus on students who have experienced educational disparities. OKT conducted 13 individual interviews and held 10 community conversations across the state, including following up with many people who were part of the prior engagement process for Senate Bill 744. It was important and meaningful for many participants to hear what had happened with their earlier input and to be invited into this next phase of shaping high school graduation requirements. 

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The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is pleased to announce that the Request for Waiver of Oregon's Newest Diploma Requirements (2026-27) form is now available. 

Requirements

Districts or public charter schools may apply for a one-year waiver of the new diploma requirements due to a lack of educators qualified to provide the courses. Approved waivers apply to all students who will be awarded an Oregon diploma or Modified diploma on or after January 1, 2027 and before January 1, 2028. Please note that the waiver application is not for individual students, but rather the entire graduating class of students.


How to Apply

To apply for a waiver, districts or public charter schools must provide the following information in the Request for Waiver of Oregon's Newest Diploma Requirements (2026-27):

  • The reason for seeking a waiver;
  • The subject(s) for which the waiver is sought;
  • The projected dates for implementation of required courses; and
  •  Assurance of local school board approval of the application and the date of such approval.


Waiver Approval

Waivers may be approved at the Oregon Department of Education's discretion. OAR 581-021-0003 outlines that the only allowable reason to request a waiver is due to lack of adequate staffing. Denied waivers may be appealed to the State Board of Education. 

​Waivers must be submitted to the Oregon Department of Education no later than July 1, 2026. ODE will review waiver applications in the order they are received. Districts will receive a response from ODE no later than July 17, 2026. No waivers shall be granted for students graduating on or after January 1, 2028.


Recommended Criteria for the Review and Selection of Instructional Materials for Higher Education and Career Path Skills Courses

The Recommended Criteria for Higher Education and Career Path Skills Instructional Materials was developed to assist districts in the review and selection of instructional materials that align with the goals of Higher Education and Career Path Skills instruction. The criteria serve as a guide for selecting high-quality resources that support student learning and readiness. ​

The Recommended Criteria for Personal Financial Education Instructional Materials was developed to assist districts in the review and selection of instructional materials that align with the goals of Personal Financial Education instruction. The criteria serve as a guide for selecting high-quality resources that support student learning and readiness. ​

Instructional Resources​

The resources in the following groups have been curated by ODE content specialists and Oregon educators to supplement materials that districts may use to meet the new requirements.

Materials in groups are free and openly-licensed, but have not been evaluated by ODE. As ODE develops criteria for Higher Education and Career Path Skills and Personal Financial Education instructional materials, resources will be evaluated for quality and added to a collection. 

The updated law requires:

  • 0.5 credits of higher education and career path skills, and
  • 0.5 credits of personal financial education

as part of the 24 credit requirements for a high school diploma.
Districts must ensure that students who will be awarded high school diplomas on or after January 1, 2027​, are able to satisfy these credit requirements.