Personal Finance (one-semester)

Master Teacher: Jessica Hines
Duration: One-semester course offered in both fall and spring (16 weeks).
Suggested Credit Value: 0.5 credits
Suggested Grade Level: 10th grade level and up
Tuition: $404 for HSLDA Members / $449 for non-members

Description: This course focuses on the importance of managing personal finances. Students learn how to create a budget, plan for the present and the future, compare investment options, and file taxes. They present an individualized financial portfolio as their final project of the semester, which includes education, career, housing, and investment choices. These practical life skills equip students for independence as they approach adulthood. 

If you're looking for a course that also includes basic accounting principles and practices, consider taking our yearlong Personal Finance & Accounting course.

Watch a sample clip of an Academy live class session.

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Live Online Class Session Schedule

Fall:  August 19, 2024 - December 13, 2024
Spring:  January 6, 2025 - May 2, 2025

*This class is 60 minutes long.

Frequently Asked Questions

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• Students will learn

  • How to become strongly competent in financial literacy 

  • How to assess the value, features, and planning processes associated with saving, investing, and asset building to achieve long-term financial security 

  • How to make informed and responsible decisions about incurring and repaying debt to remain creditworthy and financially secure 

  • How to understand the biblical views of spending, saving, and investment 

  • How to demonstrate financial responsibility and achieve financial goals for a lifetime of financial health 

• How much homework is in Personal Finance?

  We estimate that the course workload will take 5–7 hours per week. During a typical week, students complete the following coursework: 

  • 60–90 minutes of live class instruction 
  • Video lecture (10–20 minutes) 
  • 1 chapter textbook reading (30 pages per chapter)
  • 1 chapter non-textbook reading (20 pages per chapter)
  • Discussion forum (one post and one reply) 
  • Homework Assignment
  • Quiz

  Throughout the semester, students complete one project, various homework assignments, and quizzes. 

• What books will I use in Personal Finance?

  The official booklist for Personal Finance is now available. In the official booklist, you will find information about the editions, book descriptions, and ISBN numbers.

  You can order course materials for competitive prices through the Christianbook.com bookstore. Use the Textbook Finder to locate the required resources for your courses. Please note that while most books are available through Christianbook.com, some titles are not carried and will need to be purchased elsewhere.

• Prerequisites

  Students should have completed Algebra 1 or an equivalent course, and be able to read at a 10th grade level. We also recommend they have some experience using Microsoft Excel. 

• What is a Live Online Class Session in Personal Finance?

  In every HSLDA Academy course, students meet weekly with their instructor and classmates in an online classroom for additional teaching, discussion, Q&A, or group activities. The class sessions are interactive and are conducted using a web meeting software with video, audio, chat, and application sharing capabilities.

  Scheduled, real-time sessions in the online classroom are not the only form of instruction available in a HSLDA Online Academy course, but are offered in addition to lectures or other instructional materials that students are able to access online at their convenience.

  When they register, students will need to select a particular class section and live class meeting time. Additional class sections may be added to the schedule at a later point in the course registration period. Registered students will be notified of any changes to the live session schedule.

• What if I have a schedule conflict with listed Personal Finance class times?

  All live class sessions are recorded for later viewing. While it is recommended that students attend each live class session, students can make arrangements to watch the recordings and receive full participation credit.

  Students should contact their instructor at the start of their course to inform the instructor of any foreseen schedule conflicts.