In 2023 the Montana Board of Education voted to add a half unit of either financial literacy or economics to its existing social studies graduation requirements starting in 2025.As of the publication of this report, we were not able to find stand-alone financial literacy or personal finance standards for Montana.he Montana Content Standards for Social Studies provide benchmarks for what students should know upon certain grades. Upon graduation, only one of the thirty-six benchmarks covers financial literacy. Additionally, some of the Career and Vocational Education content standards relate to personal finance.

​Similar standards guide K-8 social studies learning objectives. Benchmarks for what students should know at the ends of grades 4 and 8 are provided. Similar to the high school, there are only a few personal finance benchmarks for the ends of grades 4 and 8, failing to provide robust financial literacy instruction for all students.

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Montana receives a “D” in financial literacy, as it provides minimal financial literacy instruction through a few standards. In order to raise its grade, Montana should add a stand-alone personal finance class as one of the required social studies units or as an elective. Montana also needs to create grade-specific personal finance benchmarks for the ends of Grades K-8, to ensure instruction in each grade.