Gov. Ned Lamont signed an act into law Thursday that will require Connecticut public high school students to complete a personal financial management and financial literacy course in order to graduate.
Public Act 23-21 also requires public schools to build financial management and literacy into their curriculums.
The new course will be worth a half credit and will teach skills like banking, investing, savings and handling credit and debit cards.
"This course will help give every student a better shot at financial success, particularly those who are not fortunate enough to be given the opportunity or the resources to receive this kind of instruction at home," Lamont said. "Financial education is as important as math, science and reading."
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
Members of the class of 2027, who enter high school this fall, will be the first class to be required to take the course. The class can count as a humanities or elective credit.
Connecticut will become the 22nd state to enact personal finance curriculum as a prerequisite for graduation.
