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Course Syllabus

Syllabus

Personal Fincancial Literacy

 

Course Information

Course Number: FIN 1303

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: None

 

Course Description

Personal Financial Literacy is a three-credit, fully online course designed to equip students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. Students will explore a broad range of personal finance topics, beginning with the fundamentals of financial decision-making and progressing through budgeting, banking, credit, debt management, taxes, insurance, and investing. The course also addresses the psychology and ethics of financial behavior, helping students recognize common pitfalls and develop responsible financial habits. By the end of this course, students will have the tools to assess their current financial situation, plan for short- and long-term goals, and build lasting financial well-being. No prior knowledge of finance or economics is required.

 

Course Outcomes

  • Analyze personal financial decisions using trade-off analysis. 
  • Develop and manage a realistic personal budget based on income and expenses.
  • Analyze the role of credit, debt, and interest in personal financial health.
  • Evaluate financial products including banking services, insurance, loans, and investment options.
  • Apply strategies for long-term wealth building, including retirement and portfolio planning.
  • Analyze economic influences and behavioral factors affecting financial decisions.
  • Demonstrate ethical and responsible financial behavior including fraud prevention and consumer protection.
  • Construct a comprehensive personal financial portfolio integrating course concepts.

 

Instructional Methods Utilized in this Course

  • Lessons
  • CYKs
  • Module Quizzes
  • Discussion Posts
  • Financial Strategy Labs
  • Mastery Assignments
  • Midterm and Final Exams 

 

Course Materials

All reading and materials necessary to complete required exercises are provided within the course platform. The primary required textbooks are available free of charge:

  1. Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Personal finance. SUNY OER Services / Lumen Learning. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-personalfinance/ Licensed under various open licenses; see individual chapter attributions.
  2. Lam, M. (2025). A plain language guide to personal financial planning. Salem State University Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.salemstate.edu/personalfinance/ Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
  3. OpenStax. College Success. https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction Licensed under (CC-BY) license
  4. OpenStax. (2018). Introduction to Business. https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction OpenStax is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License v4.0

 

Course Length and Due Date Requirements

This is a self-paced course allowing students to learn according to their schedules. Overall, it is estimated that the course will take approximately 150-170 hours to complete. The recommended timeframe to complete this course is 14-16 weeks. 

Please be advised that your course may have due dates. Check the Grades tab or the Course Calendar to determine your course due dates. 

It is recommended that students work through the course at a comfortable pace that allows regular, incremental (daily and/or weekly) progress.

 

Minimum Passing Grade

To earn college credit for this course, students must earn a minimum average grade of either 60% or 70%, depending on the requirements of their home school or institution. Most high schools require a minimum grade of 70% to award credit.

 

Grading Policies

Grade Weighting

  • Participation: 10%
    • Check Your Knowledge Quizzes
    • Practice Activities 
  • Module Quizzes: 20%
  • Discussion Posts: 10% 
  • Financial Strategy Labs: 10%
  • Mastery Assignments: 30% 
  • Course Exams: 20% 

 

Assignment Grading Descriptions 

  • Check Your Knowledge - “Check Your Knowledge” or CYK quizzes are located in each module. They are composed of multiple-choice, multiple-answers, and true/false questions. These quizzes are auto-graded and designed to help the student test their understanding of the lesson content. Students may take these quizzes as many times as desired to help prepare for the module quizzes and mastery assignments. It is required that students earn 100% on each quiz before proceeding to the next lesson in the course. The CYK quizzes can be taken as many times as needed to earn 100%.
  • Discussion Posts: Students will be prompted to complete discussion posts throughout this course. These discussion posts are structured as conversations and reflect the content of the module. Students are expected to create an initial post following the guidelines displayed in the directions for each discussion post. Students should also be prepared to respond to their peers in a polite, informative manner.
  • Module Quizzes: Multiple-choice quizzes that are auto-graded. Students may use notes and refer back to lessons using a separate browser or the printable versions of lessons. Quizzes are not timed. Students may take the module quiz twice. The higher of the two grades will count toward the student's grade.
  • Financial Strategy Labs: Financial Strategy Labs are hands-on, applied assessments designed to bridge course concepts with real-world financial decision-making. In each lab, students engage with a practical tool or scenario before demonstrating their understanding through a follow-up quiz.
  • Written Mastery Assignments: Written Mastery Assignments are rubric-based assignments that reinforce concepts in the course. Assignments are aligned to course outcomes and require the student to spend extra time developing, reviewing, and revising their assignments prior to submission. Students are also encouraged to self-evaluate their work using the rubrics provided.
    • The mastery assignments will build toward a comprehensive Personal Financial Portfolio. This portfolio project will be a student-curated ePortfolio of personal finances and budgeting, developing foundational decision-making and risk management skills, paying taxes, planning for retirement and making large purchases. Students will create a collection of pages representing their learning throughout the course to be turned in at various checkpoints. 

      This portfolio will be a student-curated ePortfolio of: 

      • Mastery Assignment 1: Personal Financial Portfolio (Part 1) - The Foundations of Your Finances
      • Mastery Assignment 2: Personal Financial Portfolio (Part 2) - Budget, Payments and Big Purchases 
      • Mastery Assignment 3: Personal Financial Portfolio (Part 3) - Investing, Protecting and Growing Your Financial Future
  • Course Exams: Proctored, multiple-choice exam that is auto-graded. Students may take this only once.  

 

Mastery Assignments

Use the following information to know in which module the Mastery Assignments are located. 

Mastery Assignment Lab Reports

  • Mastery Assignment Lab 1 - Module 4
  • Mastery Assignment Lab 2 - Module 10
  • Mastery Assignment Lab 3 - Module 15

 

Financial Strategy Labs

  • Financial Strategy Lab 1 - Module 3
  • Financial Strategy Lab 2 - Module 5
  • Financial Strategy Lab 3 - Module 13

 

Mastery Assignment Submission Policy

Mastery Assignments are submitted for grading at the end of the module in which they are located. The module for each Mastery Assignment is listed in the Assignment Description chart above.

Assignments are typically graded within 5-7 business days of submission.

Before your assignment is graded, you may resubmit as many times as needed. This is useful if you need to correct an error, replace a file, or address concerns identified in your Copyleaks Originality and AI Report, which becomes available within a few minutes of submission. Students are encouraged to review this report carefully before their assignment is graded.

Once your assignment is graded, the grade is final. Resubmissions are not accepted after grading unless specifically requested by your instructor or TA. If you have questions about your grade, contact your instructor through the Canvas Inbox.

Late submissions negatively impact grades. Instructors are unable to grant extensions or make adjustments, so plan ahead and review all requirements carefully before submitting.

  

Academic Integrity Policy

TEL Education, in partnership with its regionally accredited university collaborators, upholds an Academic Integrity Policy rooted in the core values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations of this policy include:

  • cheating
  • plagiarism
  • misuse of technology
  • unauthorized use of generative AI
  • any other instance of academic dishonesty

Violations are addressed through a case-by-case review process using the "Preponderance of Evidence" standard. Disciplinary actions may range from warnings to expulsion, depending on the severity of the violation. 

Examples of misconduct include unauthorized collaboration, improper citation, bypassing proctoring systems, and using AI tools like ChatGPT without permission.

Violations discovered after final grades are submitted can still result in retroactive grade changes. TEL Education retains full discretion to determine appropriate disciplinary measures, which are not required to follow a step-by-step escalation process. Actions may include assignment grade reductions, course failure, or suspension/expulsion, as deemed necessary.

 

Student Code of Conduct

All students and student representatives (including authorized teachers, counselors, and parents) are expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct throughout the duration of the student's time in this course. Students and representatives are expected to engage respectfully, act with integrity, participate actively, and use technology appropriately, while any behavior that is disruptive, dishonest, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate is strictly prohibited.

All students are expected to maintain Academic Integrity, actively participate in their learning, and use technology appropriately in all areas of this course.

 

Grade Appeal Policy

Final course grades assigned by instructors are considered permanent. However, students may appeal a final grade under specific circumstances, as outlined below. This policy applies to final course grades only. Appeals related to individual assignments, participation grades, or other components of the course will not be considered.

 

Grounds for Appeal

A student may appeal a final grade only if one or more of the following conditions are met:

  • A clerical or calculation error resulted in an incorrect final grade.
  • The final grade was assigned in a manner inconsistent with the course syllabus or stated grading criteria.

 

Appeal Timeline

All grade appeals must be submitted within 10 business days after the last day of the course. Appeals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

 

Appeal Process

  1. First Step – Instructor Communication
    The student must first contact the instructor in writing to discuss the grade concern and seek clarification or informal resolution.
  2. Formal Appeal – Written Submission
    If the issue remains unresolved, the student may submit a formal written appeal utilizing the Grade Appeal Form. This written appeal must:
    • Clearly state the grounds for appeal,
    • Include any relevant supporting documentation,
    • Be submitted within the 10-business-day deadline.
  3. Review and Decision
    The academic administrator or review committee will evaluate the appeal and may consult with the instructor. The decision of the administrator (or designated reviewer) is final and will be communicated in writing to the student.

 

Exams

In this course, students will complete a midterm and a final exam, both of which must be proctored. The exams in this course are proctored by HonorLock, which is a browser extension that monitors student performance and progress while taking an exam. Students will be required to bring a form of identification with them when starting the exam. While Honorlock will record the student’s computer webcam, speakers, and desktop, all security and privacy protocols/requirements will be followed.

Honorlock support is available 24/7/365. If you encounter any issues, you may contact them through live chat on the support page or within the exam itself. Some guides you should review are Honorlock MSRs, Honorlock FAQs for Test Takers, Honorlock Knowledge Base, and How to Use Honorlock.

 

Technical Requirements

This course is delivered 100% online, and students are required to have access to a computer or laptop — along with consistent access to the Internet — to access course material and complete assignments.

Required technology:

  • A desktop or portable computer, including Windows PC, Macintosh OS, or Chromebook (tablets, cell phones, and iPads are not supported)
  • TEL Education Canvas Course Link
  • HonorLock Extension
  • Google Chrome Browser  
  • A working built-in or external webcam, speakers, and microphone
  • Internet speed must be at least 2 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload. Hot spots are not recommended. Test Internet speed
  • Headphones or speakers 
  • Microphone
  • A webcam or video recording device
  • Ability to access the Google Work Suite (ie. Google Slides, Google Docs, etc.)
  • Access to view Youtube videos

To access detailed information about the minimum hardware requirements necessary to take full advantage of TEL courses, visit the course home page.

 

Student Communication Policy

All students enrolled in this course, including those under the age of 18, are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This means that all course-related communication, grades, and academic progress will be discussed only with the student, not with parents, guardians, or other third parties, unless the student has provided written consent to the credit-granting institution. 

In the event a FERPA Release is on file with the institution, while this allows academic records to be released to the authorized individual, it does not allow the authorized individual to intercede on the behalf of the student, including emailing the instructor, attending office hours, and filing grade appeals.

Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and to reach out directly to their instructor with any questions or concerns. For more information about the Student Communication Policy, refer to the document linked here.

 

Disability Services Statement

TEL is committed to providing equitable student access to course content and materials by providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. TEL also complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting the TEL Support Team. TEL’s Support Team will coordinate reasonable accommodations upon registration and before the course begins. Students over the age of 18 taking college-level courses require a 504 for special accommodations.

Any student seeking to request academic accommodations on the basis of a documented disability should contact the TEL Support Team at disabilityservices@tel-education.org to coordinate reasonable accommodations.

 

Additional Information

Please review the following documents before continuing on to the course material. 

 

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