My Learning Source South Carolina › Homeschooling in South Carolina › South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) — A Guide for Homeschool Families

South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) — A Guide for Homeschool Families

The Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) is South Carolina's education savings account program. It is run by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), with ClassWallet managing the accounts, under S.C. Code §59-8-110 and following. The law was rewritten in May 2025 (Act No. 11, S.62) after the South Carolina Supreme Court's 2024 Eidson decision on the earlier version. For 2026–27 each student gets $7,634 to spend on approved education costs, and the program is open to K–12 students from households earning up to 500% of the federal poverty level, up to 15,000 students. The 2026–27 program is full. One rule matters most for homeschoolers: a family homeschooling under any of South Carolina's three homeschool options (Option 1, 2 or 3) can't take part. A family can still teach at home on the ESTF, because the parent's signed ESTF agreement takes the place of a homeschool option for compulsory attendance — but then they are an ESTF family, not a homeschool under Options 1–3.

Overseen by	South Carolina Department of Education, under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund law (S.C. Code §59-8-110 and following, rewritten by 2025 Act No. 11). The money is held in a trust fund managed by a trustee the State Superintendent appoints.
Administered by	SCDE, with ClassWallet running each student's digital wallet. Families pay approved providers with "Pay Vendor" or shop the ClassWallet Marketplace. There is no reimbursement, and money is never paid to parents.
Amount per student, 2026–27	$7,634 ($7,500 in 2025–26), deposited in four payments of ,908.50 on or before July 31, September 30 and December 31, 2026 and February 28, 2027. By law the amount rises each year with average state per-pupil funding unless the budget sets another figure. Unused money rolls over while the student stays eligible.
Who is eligible	South Carolina residents in grades K–12 who were 5 by September 1 (or had a scholarship the year before), haven't graduated and are under 22, from households at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines ( 60,750 for a family of four on the 2025 guidelines). The student can't be enrolled full-time in their zoned public school, can't get an Exceptional SC scholarship the same year, and can't be homeschooled under Option 1, 2 or 3.
Application window / next dates	2026–27 reached its 15,000-student cap and closed; families can join the waitlist to get 2027–28 updates. By law, each year's early window for current students and their siblings opens November 1, followed by a priority window and then a general window. SCDE says 2027–28 renewals start processing in November 2026. New-applicant dates for 2027–28 haven't been posted.
Homeschool status	Students homeschooled under S.C. Code §59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47 (Options 1–3) are not eligible. A family that leaves its homeschool option for the ESTF can still teach at home: the parent's signed ESTF agreement satisfies compulsory attendance (§59-8-115(H)).

Can a homeschool family use the ESTF?

Not while homeschooling under Options 1–3. Every ESTF parent signs a yearly agreement not to take part in a home instruction program under S.C. Code §59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47 — that is, district-approved homeschooling (Option 1), SCAIHS (Option 2) or a homeschool association of 50 or more families (Option 3). SCDE's Home School FAQ says the same thing plainly: students homeschooled under those sections are not eligible.

That doesn't mean ESTF students must be in a classroom. Under §59-8-115(H), the parent's signed ESTF agreement itself satisfies South Carolina's compulsory attendance law. SCDE's ESTF FAQ notes that some families choose to educate at home and use the ESTF for curriculum, technology, tutoring and educational therapies. In the agreement, the parent promises to provide instruction in at least English/language arts (including writing), math, social studies and science, and to make sure the student takes the required tests.

So a family that homeschools today has a real choice to make each year: stay in its homeschool option with no state money, or leave the option, apply for the ESTF and teach at home under the ESTF agreement instead. The two can't be combined in the same year. If you switch, the rules that apply to you are the ESTF's (spending rules, testing, renewal), not your homeschool association's.

Other routes: a student enrolled full-time in an approved independent school is an ESTF private school student. SCDE's Home School FAQ says that if an online private school's staff provides the instruction, the student is enrolled in private school, not homeschooling; if the parent teaches using the online school's curriculum, that is homeschooling. Charter school students may also use the ESTF.

What ESTF money can pay for

The qualifying expenses are listed in S.C. Code §59-8-110(14). SCDE's 2026–27 Participant Guide turns them into an approved-expense list with limits. Highlights:

Tuition and fees at an approved independent school, and at an approved nonpublic online provider or course (math, English, science, social studies, foreign language and similar subjects)
Textbooks, curriculum and instructional materials in math, English, science (including coding and engineering), social studies, foreign language, art and music; reading books; school supplies for the student's own use (art supplies up to $500 a year)
Tutoring from an approved provider in those same subjects, including music and art
Educational therapies from a licensed provider: ABA, speech, physical, occupational and vision therapy, and dyslexia and dysgraphia therapies, plus initial evaluation fees and required therapy equipment
Computers and tablets up to
,000 each and monitors and printers up to $300 each, one of each every two academic years (no gaming computers or 3D printers); headphones up to
00 a year; calculators up to
00 a year
Fees for national norm-referenced tests, AP exams, industry certification exams and college admission exams, plus test-prep classes
Classes, after-school tutoring, extracurricular fees and out-of-district fees from a public school district other than the student's zoned school, and fee-for-service transportation up to $3,000 a year (invoiced separately)
Required school uniforms, up to $500 a year
Not approved: food, field trips, fundraising, graduation and child care fees

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).

For vendors: taking part

South Carolina calls approved sellers "education service providers" (ESPs). Tutors, therapists, independent schools, online course providers and other education businesses apply to SCDE through the Education Service Provider application on the ESTF site, which is open year-round. SCDE says it decides within 10 business days. Within 3 business days of approval, ClassWallet emails instructions to finish registration, and you must register and link a bank account before families can pay you. Applications sent in by parents on a provider's behalf are rejected.

Requirements in the 2026–27 Service Provider Guide: tutors need at least a bachelor's degree, educational therapists need a valid license in the therapy they provide, and independent schools must be organized as nonprofits (by law they must also be located in South Carolina and meet State Board approval requirements). Every provider accepts an attestation that includes background checks. Facilities attest that they check staff, and independent providers complete a background check themselves. Under §59-8-150, a provider expecting $50,000 or more in a school year must file a surety bond with SCDE, and providers must give families an invoice or receipt for every purchase. Providers may not refund or share scholarship money with a parent.

Getting paid: families pay you through ClassWallet's "Pay Vendor" with your invoice (no handwritten documents). You can bill weekly, monthly or quarterly, before or after the service. Payments settle in 2–10 business days. SCDE reviews every payment and can reject invoices it thinks are not within reason. Approved and registered providers appear in ClassWallet and on SCDE's published list (last updated September 28, 2026). Providers reapply each year.

Listing on My Learning Source is separate from ESTF approval — you don't need one to have the other, and families find you here either way.

Exceptional SC: for students with exceptional needs

South Carolina's other program is the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children (S.C. Code §12-6-3790). Exceptional SC, a nonprofit scholarship fund, awards scholarships of up to

1,000 a year (or the school's tuition, if less) toward tuition, transportation and textbooks at an eligible private school. Students must be South Carolina residents eligible to attend public school, with an exceptional need documented by a licensed medical professional or school records (such as an IEP, ISP or multidisciplinary team report) dated within the past three years. The 2026–27 application ran from noon June 1 to September 30, 2026. Awards go by incumbency and available funding, not first-come-first-served.

Parents who pay that tuition themselves can apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a refundable tax credit of up to

1,000 per student (or tuition paid, if less), minus any Exceptional SC scholarship. It is first-come, first-served under a statewide cap; for tax year 2025 the cap was raised to $5 million and has been met.

Neither option pays for homeschooling: both are tied to tuition at an eligible private school. A family can't have Exceptional SC and the ESTF in the same school year.

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)

Other South Carolina programs: college scholarships, dual enrollment and sports

LIFE Scholarship: South Carolina's lottery-funded LIFE Scholarship is open to students who completed a high school home school program in South Carolina "in the manner required by law" (S.C. Code §59-149-50). At a four-year college it pays up to $5,000 a year, tuition plus a $300 book allowance (CHE LIFE regulation, June 2025). An entering freshman at a four-year college must meet two of three tests: a 3.0 GPA on the state's Uniform Grading Policy, an 1100 SAT (or equivalent ACT), or top-30% class rank. A homeschool association that doesn't rank must use GPA plus SAT/ACT, and the regulation lists a 22 ACT as the equivalent for those students. At a two-year or technical college, only the 3.0 GPA is needed. A graduate of a homeschool association that isn't state-approved can still earn LIFE after the first year of college with a 3.0 college GPA and 30 credit hours. Homeschool seniors should ask their association to report GPA and rank on the Uniform Grading Policy.

Palmetto Fellows and HOPE: the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship (up to $6,700 as a freshman and $7,500 a year after, the maximums in CHE's May 2026 Palmetto Fellows regulation) is open to students in an approved home school program. Applications go through the homeschool administrator, the way a school counselor handles them for other students. Early-award criteria are a 1200 SAT (or equivalent ACT), a 3.50 GPA and top-6% class rank, or a 1400 SAT and a 4.00 GPA without rank. Rank can only be used through an association that officially ranks its members (CHE Palmetto Fellows regulation, May 2026). The SC HOPE Scholarship is a one-year freshman award for four-year students who don't qualify for LIFE or Palmetto Fellows.

Dual enrollment: South Carolina's technical colleges enroll homeschooled high schoolers in college courses, but terms differ by college. For example, Piedmont Technical College says any rising junior or senior, including home school students, can apply, and the Technical College of the Lowcountry's 2026–27 handbook lists several homeschool associations among its partners and has homeschool students email their course requests. Some colleges use Lottery Tuition Assistance to cover tuition. Ask your local technical college about eligibility, cost and paperwork.

Sports and activities: under the Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act (S.C. Code §59-63-100), a school district can't keep a homeschool student out of interscholastic activities — athletics, music, speech and other extracurriculars — if the student meets district eligibility rules (other than attendance and class enrollment), lives in the school's attendance zone, and notifies the district superintendent in writing before the season starts. The law defines a home school student as one taught under Option 1, 2 or 3 for a full academic year before taking part. Students must meet the same standards of behavior, performance and practice as other team members, and making the team isn't guaranteed. A public school student who loses academic eligibility can't switch to homeschooling to play the next semester. ESTF students taught at home aren't named in this definition, so they should check with the district.

Driver's licenses for home-schooled teens

Beginner's permit: a teen can apply at 15 and gets the permit after passing the knowledge test (S.C. Code §56-1-50). For an applicant under 18, an authorized adult must sign at an SCDMV branch, unless a representative of a driver training school signs and submits it, and the adult must bring a picture ID. Teens under 18 must hold the permit for at least 180 days before the road test.

School attendance: the attendance rule applies when a 15- or 16-year-old moves from the permit to a conditional license (15½ to 16) or a special restricted license (16). SCDMV can't issue either license unless the teen has a high school diploma, certificate or GED, or is enrolled in a public or private school or is home schooled under Section 59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47 (Options 1, 2 and 3). The teen must also follow the attendance laws and policies that apply and must not be suspended or expelled (§56-1-176). The statute names only those three home school options.

Showing it: the teen brings the Certification of School Attendance, Driver's Education, and Driving Practice (SCDMV Form PDLA). SCDMV says the form is available at all driver training schools and all public and private high schools in South Carolina. Don't download copies you find online. SCDMV only accepts completed forms from authorized issuers, and its driver's manual says you get the PDLA from your driver's education program once you finish the course. SCDMV's pages don't say who certifies the school attendance part for a home-schooled teen. Before you go, ask your driver training school, and your Option 2 or 3 association (or your district under Option 1), who completes it. Questions about the form go to the SCDMV Office of Inspector General at 803-896-9606.

Driver education: for either license, the teen must finish a driver's education course (eight hours in the classroom and six hours driving) and log at least 40 hours of supervised practice, including 10 at night (§56-1-175, -180; SCDMV). The course must come from a driver training school, or from a private, parochial or public high school, taught by an instructor with a valid driver's instructor permit (§56-1-175(D)). SCDMV licenses and approves private driver training schools and posts a list of them. High schools whose classroom driver education is part of their curriculum are exempt from licensing. SCDMV doesn't say whether public high school courses are open to homeschoolers, so ask your district.

Official sources

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace. We are not affiliated with the South Carolina Department of Education, its Education Scholarship Trust Fund, ClassWallet or Exceptional SC, and a listing here does not mean a vendor is an approved ESTF education service provider.

As of October 2026.

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