How to earn an Arizona diploma seal and ASU credit in one course

The Arizona Department of Education has approved three ASU Universal Learner Courses for high school academic diploma seals. Students take one course and cover the seal’s course requirement while earning ASU credit that transfers. Fundamentals of Personal Finance (FIN 294) counts toward the Seal of Personal Finance. American Government and Politics (POS 110) and Public Service and American Democracy (PAF 112) each count toward the Seal of Civics Literacy.

To earn a diploma seal, students need a rigorous course the state has already approved. Unlike standard seal-approved courses that end at graduation, these three give students a head start on college credit. Each one is the same course an ASU undergraduate takes, taught by ASU faculty and the credit lands on an official transcript before your student walks the stage.

What is an Arizona diploma seal?

A diploma seal is a state recognition printed on the diploma and noted on the transcript. Arizona created the Seal of Personal Finance under A.R.S. §15-260 to mark students who reach a high level of proficiency in the subject and the Seal of Civics Literacy does the same for civics.

Seals are not common. During the 2024-2025 school year, 3,486 Arizona students earned the Seal of Personal Finance. Every college admissions reader and scholarship reviewer who opens the transcript sees it.

Which ASU courses count toward a seal?

Three Universal Learner Courses are on the ADE-approved list, which means the Arizona Department of Education reviewed them against the state’s program rubric and cleared them for seal credit statewide.

Your student picks the one that matches the seal they want.

What does one course cost?

Enrollment is $25. If your student likes the grade, adding it to an official ASU transcript is $400, so $425 in total. Students who stop after the course pay nothing more, and an untranscripted grade never touches a high school GPA.

One thing to plan for: the approved course has to be completed with a grade of B or better to count toward the seal. A passing grade below a B does not satisfy the requirement.

What else does the seal require?

The course is one requirement out of several, and your district awards the seal.

• The Seal of Personal Finance outlines for four activities, one from each category: an approved personal finance curriculum, a passed personal finance assessment, a co-curricular or extracurricular finance program of at least 10 hours and a college or career readiness plan. Students also need a 3.0 GPA across all social studies courses, and everything has to be finished during grades 9 through 12.

• The Seal of Civics Literacy sets its own checklist, built the same way: approved civic learning programs, a civics assessment, engagement hours and a written reflection, alongside the social studies GPA. ADE publishes the current list.

Your counselor or district seal coordinator has the full checklist. We encourage you to ask for it before your student enrolls.

Does my high school participate?

Check first. Arizona districts and charter schools choose whether to take part in the seal program, name a program coordinator and file an intent to participate form with ADE by October 1 of the school year. A student at a school that has not opted in cannot earn the seal, no matter how the coursework goes.

Some Arizona high schools also offer these courses in the classroom through Accelerate ASU, with a teacher in the room. Your counselor knows whether your school is a partner.

Who teaches these courses?

ASU faculty, the same instructors who teach these courses to undergraduates.

• Fundamentals of Personal Finance (FIN 294) is taught by Ives Machiz, a clinical faculty member in personal financial planning at the W. P. Carey School of Business. He is a certified financial planner who spent 22 years as a fee-only financial planner, and he taught high school math and personal finance for eight years before that.

• American Government and Politics (POS 110) is taught by Charles Ripley, an instructor in the School of Politics and Global Studies. He earned his doctorate at ASU in 2013 and taught for five years in Nicaragua before coming to Arizona.

• Public Service and American Democracy (PAF 112) is taught by Eileen Eisen-Cohen, an associate teaching professor and coordinator of online programs in the School of Public Affairs at the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. She spent more than 30 years leading nonprofit and public organizations before moving into her faculty role.

How to start

Confirm your school participates, ask your counselor for the seal checklist, then pick the course that matches the seal. ADE publishes the current requirements for both seals.

If your student took the ACT this year, all three seal courses are also in the ACT and ASU collaboration catalog at a reduced credit rate.

See the three ADE-approved courses and enroll starting at $25.