Texas High School Personal Finance: Starter Units for the New Half Credit
Texas students who enter Grade 9 in 2026–27 or later need a one-half credit personal financial literacy course under HB 27, and the Personal Finance Starter Bundle gives you six ready lessons and units to open that course. It covers a launch lesson, money values, SMART goals, a money mindset quiz, debt prevention and interest. At $59.99 it is a starter, not the whole half credit.
Open the starter bundleThe Personal Finance Starter Bundle costs $59.99 (parts $78.94) and includes six resources: a Day 1 course launch lesson with slides, workbook and notes, the wheel of life lesson on money and values, SMART financial goals, a money mindset quiz, a unit on handling money and debt prevention, and a percentages and interest unit. It suits the first weeks of a Texas personal financial literacy half credit. It is not aligned to the TEKS.
The resources
Personal Finance Starter Bundle, Grades 9–12
6 resources in one download: $59.99 instead of $78.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Personal Finance Starter Bundle | Money Mindset, SMART Goals, Budgeting, Debt & Interest | Grades 9–12
Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle | Personal Finance, Job Applications, Workplace Communication & AI at Work | 8 Units | Grades 9–12
Everyday & Financial Math Bundle | Percentages, Interest, Ratio and Business Maths | 3 Units | Grades 7–12
Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle | Journal Entries, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Markets & Marketing | 9 Units | Grades 10–12
The real problem
A new required course with a short runway
HB 27, passed by the 89th Legislature, changes the Foundation High School Program for later cohorts. Students who enter Grade 9 in 2026–27 and after, the class of 2030, need a one-half credit personal financial literacy course, which replaces the economics requirement. Their third social studies credit can then be economics, world geography or world history. Texas adopted this standalone requirement in 2025, in the same year as Colorado, Delaware and Kentucky. The course itself is still taking shape. As of fall 2026, the State Board of Education has proposed an Applied Personal Financial Literacy course (one-half credit, §113.26) to be implemented from 2027–28. Campuses are planning staffing and materials before the final course text is settled, and the teacher assigned may come from economics, math, business or CTE with no ready lessons for the first weeks. CTE adds another layer. Statewide CTE Programs of Study are organized under federal Perkins V, and business and finance teachers may want money lessons that also make sense inside a program of study. A starter set you can teach now and fold into whatever final course your district adopts is the practical answer.
Why it fits
What the six resources cover
The bundle is built to open a course and set its habits, with two longer units for the core money topics.
- The Day 1 lesson gives slides, a workbook and notes for welcoming students and outlining the course.
- The wheel of life lesson ties money decisions to what students value before any math appears.
- SMART financial goals turns vague money wishes into written plans students can revisit at semester end.
- The money mindset quiz sorts students into saver, spender, avoider or investor for discussion.
- Handling money and debt prevention gives a full unit on managing money and staying out of debt.
- Percentages and interest covers discounts, tax and simple interest, the math behind every loan question.
Getting started
The first weeks of the half credit
A suggested order. Your district's final course and calendar set the actual pacing.
- Day 1: launch the courseTeach the welcome and course overview lesson with its slides, workbook and notes. Students see what the half credit covers and start a workbook they keep, which sets a practical tone from the first bell.
- Values before numbersFollow with the wheel of life lesson so students connect money to what they care about. Then run the money mindset quiz and use the four profiles to form discussion groups for later lessons.
- Set goals students will check laterUse the SMART financial goals lesson to have each student write one short-term and one longer-term money goal. File them and bring them back in the final week as a reflection task.
- Teach the debt and money unitMove into handling money and debt prevention as the first full unit. It gives the course its core vocabulary and lets you link everyday money habits to the goals students wrote.
- Add the interest math, then build onClose the opening phase with percentages and interest. Then compare the remaining course requirements with what you have taught and add your own lessons or further units for the gaps.
What to buy
Starter bundle, or something bigger?
For the opening weeks of a Texas personal financial literacy half credit, the Personal Finance Starter Bundle at $59.99 (parts $78.94) is the focused choice. If your course leans toward work and careers, the Career Readiness Curriculum Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) adds résumés, interviews, professional email and AI at work. For more math practice, the Everyday & Financial Math Bundle ($49.99, parts $69.97) adds business math and ratio work, though it shares the percentages and interest unit. For a business or finance program of study, the Accounting & Economics Fundamentals Bundle ($109.99, parts $224.91) covers bookkeeping, markets and the business cycle.
Honest limits
Honest limits
Six resources do not make a half-credit course. The bundle is not written for Texas, carries no TEKS codes, and is not aligned with or approved for the HB 27 requirement or the proposed Applied Personal Financial Literacy course. Compare it with the final course standards once adopted and with your district's plan. You supply the rest of the course, calculators or devices, and current figures on rates and prices. Using it across a department needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not right for you, you have 7 days to exchange it for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this bundle meet the Texas personal financial literacy requirement?
No. It is not aligned with, approved for or designed around HB 27 or the proposed §113.26 course, and six resources are only part of a half credit. Use it as an opening set and check every lesson against the final course standards and your district's requirements before you count it toward student credit.
Which students must take the new course?
Students who enter Grade 9 in 2026–27 or later, the class of 2030, need the one-half credit personal financial literacy course under HB 27, and it replaces the economics requirement for them. Confirm the details for your campus with your district, since course codes and schedules are set locally.
When does the course itself start?
The proposed Applied Personal Financial Literacy course (§113.26) is planned for implementation from 2027–28. As of fall 2026 it is still a proposal, so the final wording may change. Your district curriculum office can tell you when and in which grade it will appear in your master schedule.
Can I use it in a CTE class?
As lesson material, yes. Texas organizes CTE into Statewide Programs of Study under Perkins V, and money lessons can support business and finance courses. The bundle is not written for any program of study, so check it against your course standards before using it toward credit.
Do students get something to keep?
The Day 1 lesson includes a workbook along with slides and teacher notes. The other resources are worksheets, activities, slides and answer keys for print or digital use. Print the workbook pages as a course binder or share them through the platform your school already uses.
What if the bundle does not fit my course?
Within 7 days of purchase you can exchange it for store credit of equal value and put that toward another product, such as the Career Readiness bundle. There is no cash refund, so read the full parts list on the product page before you buy and compare it with your course plan.
Ready for Day 1 of the half credit
Open the bundle page to see all six lessons and units.
Open the starter bundle