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🚀 How to Start Homeschooling in South Carolina

The first steps for a South Carolina family starting to homeschool: what to file, how to leave a public school, and where to find co-ops, classes and help — drawn from our South Carolina guide and articles.

Before you apply or buy

Join the waitlist now. The 2026–27 program is full, and SCDE says registering on the ESTF site's waitlist makes sure you get updates on the 2027–28 application.
Know the order. Current ESTF students and their siblings apply first (the law opens that window November 1). Next comes a priority window for active-duty military families stationed in South Carolina, households at or below 300% of the poverty level, and students who attended public school the year before. Everyone else up to 500% of the poverty level comes last. For 2026–27 the windows were November 1 – January 14, January 15 – February 8, and from February 9.
Have documents ready: proof of guardianship, proof of South Carolina residency, and proof of income (pages 1 and 2 of IRS Form 1040, or records of non-taxable income), plus military orders or a prior-year public school report card if you're claiming priority for those.
Leave your homeschool option before the ESTF year starts. You can't be in Option 1, 2 or 3 and the ESTF in the same school year.
Pay inside ClassWallet only. There is no reimbursement and you can't deposit your own money. Providers need an invoice showing the provider's name and address, the student and parent names, invoice and service dates, the type of service and the total. New families can only pay for services on or after July 1 of the award year. Computer and device purchases wait until initial enrollment verification is complete.
Plan for testing. SCDE's FAQ says ESTF students in grades 3–11 must test each year: SC READY/SC PASS, a nationally norm-referenced test such as the Iowa, or an approved formative test given three times a year such as MAP. High schoolers may use the ACT, SAT or PSAT instead. Report results with the ESTF Testing Report Form. The law's testing section (S.C. Code §59-8-150) covers grades 3 through 12, so ask SCDE what it expects of a 12th grader.
If your child has a disability, choosing the ESTF is a parental placement under federal special education law (IDEA), and nonpublic providers don't have to offer the services a public school would. SCDE posts a notice of parent rights on the ESTF site.
Amounts, dates and rules change. Confirm anything important on the ESTF program site or with ClassWallet support (877-313-1299).

Read the full section in our South Carolina guide

Homeschooling in South Carolina: the basics

Compulsory attendance runs from the school year a child turns 5 by September 1 until age 17 or high school graduation. A parent whose child isn't 6 by September 1 can sign a waiver with the district to skip kindergarten. (S.C. Code §59-65-10)
There are three legal ways to homeschool, and the parent picks one. Every option requires a parent with at least a high school diploma or GED, a 180-day school year, and instruction in reading, writing, math, science and social studies, plus composition and literature in grades 7–12. (§59-65-40, -45, -47)
Option 1, district approval (§59-65-40): apply to your school district's board of trustees, which must approve programs that meet the law. Extra rules: a 4½-hour instructional day; a plan book, portfolio and record of evaluations open to district inspection; a semiannual progress report to the district; library access; the annual statewide tests, given by a certified district employee; and a signed release holding the district harmless. A denial can be appealed to the State Board of Education within 10 days.
Option 2, SCAIHS (§59-65-45): homeschool under the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Bona fide membership and following its standards replace the Option 1 rules.
Option 3, an association of 50 or more members (§59-65-47): join a homeschool association that meets the law. Parents keep a plan book or other record of subjects and activities, a portfolio of the student's work, and a semiannual progress report with attendance. SCDE publishes the 2026–27 list of associations that filed the yearly Standards Assurance form, but it doesn't accredit, endorse or monitor them. Associations under Options 2 and 3 report the number and grades of their students to the districts by January 30.
Co-ops are not one of the three options. They can supplement a parent's teaching but can't replace it. (SCDE Home School FAQ)
Diplomas and credits: only accredited public high schools issue a South Carolina high school diploma. Homeschool diplomas come from the parent or the association, and homeschool credits aren't automatically accepted by other schools. A student returning to public school is placed where the district decides, often by testing. (SCDE Home School FAQ)
Districts aren't required to provide textbooks or materials to homeschoolers but may choose to. Homeschoolers can earn credit through the South Carolina Virtual School Program if they meet its guidelines. (SCDE Home School FAQ)

Read the full section in our South Carolina guide

Official sources

Summarized from our South Carolina guide (as of October 2026) and articles. Rules change — confirm on the official pages before you act.

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