How much personal finance does North Carolina require?

One (1.0) credit Economics and Personal Finance course. North Carolina's requirement is a standalone course requirement. In practice that means a dedicated class of its own, taken for credit, rather than a few personal finance lessons folded into another subject.

Which North Carolina students does the requirement apply to?

The Class of 2024 is the first graduating class that has to meet it, so earlier classes are not held to the requirement. Timeline: Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2020-21. If you are planning a course now, that timeline is the window to have curriculum in place before North Carolina starts holding students to it.

What personal finance standards does North Carolina use?

North Carolina Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) Standards. Rapunzl's curriculum is built on the Council for Economic Education's six pillars: Earning Income, Spending, Saving, Investing, Managing Credit, and Managing Risk. Those pillars map to every strand in the framework, which is why the same course can satisfy standards that are worded differently from one state to the next.

Does Rapunzl's curriculum align to North Carolina standards?

Yes. Rapunzl's modules and real-time investing simulator cover the CEE six pillars, and those pillars crosswalk to the North Carolina strands listed on this page. Students learn by making real decisions with a simulated $10,000 portfolio priced on live market data, and teachers get an educator dashboard with grade export, materials in English and Spanish, and screen-reader accessibility. Request a demo and we'll send the North Carolina standards crosswalk along with classroom access.

North Carolina Personal Finance Standards & Graduation Requirements

North Carolina at a glance

Requirement: Standalone course required
Legislation or authority: HB 924 (2019) — Economics and Personal Finance (EPF)
Passed: 2019
Takes effect: Applies to students entering grade 9 in 2020-21
First graduating class affected: Class of 2024
Course length: One (1.0) credit Economics and Personal Finance course
State standards: North Carolina Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) Standards

Read the official North Carolina standards

What North Carolina requires

HB 924 requires a full-credit Economics and Personal Finance course, applying to students who entered grade 9 in 2020-21 — the class of 2024 and beyond. It replaced part of the prior social studies sequence rather than adding a credit on top.

NCDPI adopted the EPF standards for fall 2021 implementation. At a full credit, North Carolina asks for more instructional time than the half-credit most states require.

Last reviewed against official sources on 2026-07-17.

How Rapunzl maps to North Carolina standards

Rapunzl's curriculum is built on the Council for Economic Education's six pillars. Here is how they line up with the North Carolina framework.

North Carolina strand	CEE pillar	Rapunzl modules
Economics strand	Economics	The Economy & Federal Reserve Reading Company Financials
Personal Finance: earning income & careers	Earning Income	Taxes & Income Careers In Finance
Money management & budgeting	Spending	The Basics Of Banking Buying Your First Home Paying For College
Saving & investing	Investing	Welcome To The Stock Market What Makes A Good Stock?ETFs & Mutual Funds
Credit & debt	Managing Credit	The Power & Risks Of Credit How To Make Loans Work For You
Risk management, insurance & financial decision-making	Managing Risk	Diversification & Risk Insurance & Retirement

Educators can request a full North Carolina standards crosswalk through the Educator Dashboard.

Standards alignment details: how Rapunzl covers North Carolina's personal finance standards

A standard-by-standard look at the North Carolina framework. 22 standards are covered across 14 Rapunzl modules; each links to its lesson so you can preview exactly what students learn.

Income & Education

North Carolina standard	Aligned Rapunzl modules
EPF.IE.1.1Explain how education, income, career, and life choices impact an individual’s financial plan and goals.	Insurance & Retirement Taxes & Income Paying For College
EPF.IE.1.2Differentiate career and education options after high school in terms of desired lifestyle.	Taxes & Income Paying For College
EPF.IE.1.3Identify the costs of postsecondary education and the potential increase in income from a career of choice.	Paying For College
EPF.IE.1.4Compare strategies which can minimize the costs of postsecondary education.	Paying For College
EPF.IE.1.5Summarize various types of income.	Taxes & Income

Money & Credit Management

North Carolina standard	Aligned Rapunzl modules
EPF.IE.2.1Explain how payroll deductions modify an employee’s disposable income.	Taxes & Income
EPF.IE.2.2Identify the types and purposes of local, state, and federal taxes and the way each is levied and used.	Taxes & Income
EPF.IE.2.3Implement appropriate computations and procedures to prepare a federal or state tax form.	Taxes & Income
EPF.MCM.1.1Explain how fiscally responsible individuals create and manage a spending plan.	Saving Versus Investing
EPF.MCM.1.2Critique income and spending plans in terms of age, individual needs, and available resources.	Budgeting & Spending
EPF.MCM.1.3Compare the costs and benefits of renting, leasing, or owning.	Buying Your First Home Business Of Buildings & Ownership
EPF.MCM.1.4Compare various types of mortgages.	Buying Your First Home
EPF.MCM.2.1Design a plan that uses the services of various financial institutions to meet financial goals.	Buying Your First Home
EPF.MCM.2.2Explain how interest and fees impact spending, debt, and savings.	Saving Versus Investing The Basics Of Banking
EPF.MCM.2.3Compare costs and benefits of cash, debit, payment applications, and credit card transactions in terms of interest rates, fees, penalties, costs, and benefits.	Saving Versus Investing The Power & Risks Of Credit
EPF.MCM.3.1Compare credit sources and services.	The Power & Risks Of Credit How To Make Loans Work For You
EPF.MCM.3.2Explain how debt management and creditworthiness impact an individual’s ability to become a responsible consumer and borrower.	The Power & Risks Of Credit
EPF.MCM.3.3Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of debt.	The Power & Risks Of Credit How To Make Loans Work For You
EPF.MCM.3.4Classify the various types of insurance and estate planning including the benefits and consequences.	Insurance & Retirement

Financial Planning

North Carolina standard	Aligned Rapunzl modules
EPF.FP.1.1Compare various investing strategies and tax implications for their potential to build wealth.	Welcome To The Stock Market What Makes A Good Stock?Diversification & Risk Taxes & Income
EPF.FP.1.2Identify factors (i.e - income, budget, cost of living experiences) that influence financial planning.	Welcome To The Stock Market Saving Versus Investing
EPF.FP.1.3Summarize the role of philanthropy, volunteer services, businesses, and nonprofits in community development and quality of life.	Taxes & Income ESG & Social Impact

Standards alignment for North Carolina is provided for planning and is updated annually. Educators can request a formatted North Carolina standards crosswalk through the Educator Dashboard.

Why North Carolina schools choose Rapunzl

Rapunzl pairs a standards-aligned curriculum with a real-time investment simulator, so students learn personal finance by making real decisions with simulated $10,000 portfolios priced on live market data — not by reading about it. The curriculum scales from a three-week unit to a 28-week year-long course, which means it fits whichever shape North Carolina's requirement takes in your district.

100,000+students have completed Rapunzl's curriculum
93%average financial literacy scores on national test over past 5 years, 24% above average
31interactive modules that can be customized into a course progression for your classroom
20+hours of gameplay in 2 interactive mini-games alongside our investment simulator and financial calculators

Teachers get an educator dashboard with grade export and standards crosswalks, English and Spanish materials, screen-reader accessibility, and a free national scholarship competition their students can enter each January.