Personal Finance (one-semester)

Master Teacher: Jessica Hines
Duration: One-semester course offered in both fall and spring (17 weeks).
Suggested High School Credit Value: 0.5 credits.
Suggested Grade Level: 10th grade level and up.
Tuition: $349 for HSLDA Members / $399 for non-members.

Description: In the one-semester Personal Finance course, students will learn individual financial management principles from a biblical worldview. Our goal is to equip them with the skills and practices they need to be confident lifelong stewards of their finances. Practical applications include creating a personal budget, establishing saving plans, comparing investment options, evaluating insurance plans, and filing taxes.

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.

Sign up for Personal Finance and other courses

Live Online Class Session Schedule

Fall:  August 23, 2021 - December 17, 2021
Spring:  January 10, 2022 - May 6, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

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• What topics will I learn about in Personal Finance?

  The goal of Personal Finance is to help students understand the vital importance of financial management from a biblical worldview. Students enrolled in Personal Finance will study:

  • Personal financial planning
  • Biblical perspectives on finances
  • Banking
  • Saving & Investing
  • Loans & Credit Cards

  The course will compare and measure these topics against a biblical worldview. Students will apply this knowledge to create a personal financial plan that they can build on and develop for future use.

• How much homework is in Personal Finance?

  We estimate that the course workload will take 5–7 hours per week.

  During a typical week in this course, students will 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 year, students will also complete the following task:

  • Personal Finance Application Project (this project requires students to create a personal finance plan)

• 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.

• Am I ready to take Personal Finance?

  Students are ready to take Personal Finance once they have completed Algebra 1 or an equivalent course and are able to read at a 10th grade level. It is also recommended that students have some experience using Microsoft Excel as they will be using this program to prepare budgets and learn accounting principles. To learn the basics of Microsoft Excel, students can take our one-semester Computer Skills course.

• 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. 

• What is the tuition for Personal Finance?

  Please visit our tuition and discounts page for a full summary about course costs. 

  HSLDA members save $50 on one-semester high school courses in addition to Early Registration discounts!