Homeschool reimbursement and benefits in South Carolina
South Carolina’s ESTF provides a $7,634 education wallet for 2026-27, including a home-learning route under its own attendance agreement rather than Options 1, 2, or 3. Applications are closed because the program reached its 15,000-student limit.
Who qualifies
Live in South Carolina
The student must be a South Carolina resident in kindergarten through grade 12.
Meet the income limit
Household income must not exceed 500% of federal poverty guidelines for 2026-27.
Use ESTF’s attendance agreement
Students enrolled under Option 1, 2, or 3 homeschool arrangements are excluded. The signed ESTF agreement supplies a separate compulsory-attendance route.
Avoid your resident public school
The program requires an education option outside public school in the resident district.
From applying to keeping it
- November 1, 2025 to January 14, 2026
Returning-family priority
The first 2026-27 window served returning awarded students and siblings.
- January 15 to February 8, 2026
Other priority applicants
Military, lower-income, prior-public-school, and missed returning-family applicants had priority.
- From February 9, 2026
Remaining eligible applicants
Other households within 500% FPL could apply, until the cap was reached.
- Beginning late July 2026
Quarterly funds
Awarded students receive $1,908.50 installments in ClassWallet.
- Now, October 2026
Applications closed
The current program page says the statutory cap has been reached; no 2027-28 window is published there.
What it pays for
Covered
- Approved curricular materials
- Tutoring and educational therapies
- Eligible computers and technology
- Approved school tuition and fees
- Approved transportation, up to $3,000 from the award
Not covered
- Option 1, 2, or 3 homeschool enrollment
- Parent reimbursements
- Purchases outside provider and expense rules
- Parent or guardian gas mileage
Good to know
You homeschool under ESTF's own agreement
Your child can homeschool under ESTF’s own signed attendance agreement. You cannot remain in an Option 1, 2, or 3 homeschool arrangement and participate.
ESTF does not reimburse you
The state FAQ says there is no reimbursement. You buy and pay through the ClassWallet digital wallet.
Unused funds carry over
Funds do not expire while your student stays eligible. Graduation, leaving South Carolina, or resident-district public-school enrollment ends eligibility.
Who to contact
Ask about eligibility, your existing award, or future application announcements.
ESTFProgram@ed.sc.gov Read current ESTF status
Local help in South Carolina
The local programs we have checked across the state cover college and dual credit, sports and activities, school services, and other services. Each local program sets its own rules for who qualifies. Search your ZIP code to see the ones that serve your address.
The state's homeschool rules
Choose one legal route: district-board approval (Option 1), SCAIHS membership (Option 2), or membership in a qualifying homeschool association with at least 50 members (Option 3). Follow that route’s enrollment and renewal process.
- Subjects: Teach reading, writing, math, science, and social studies; add composition and literature in grades 7–12. Provide at least 180 instructional days; Option 1 also requires at least 4.5 hours per day.
- Testing: Option 1 requires the annual statewide tests for the student’s grade. Options 2 and 3 follow their association’s rules; Option 3 has no statutory standardized-test requirement.
- Records: Keep attendance and academic records. Options 1 and 3 require a planbook or diary, work portfolio, and semiannual progress reports; follow district or association submission rules.
- Teachers: A high-school diploma or GED is the minimum educational qualification. A bachelor’s degree is not required for SCAIHS (Option 2). Option 1 requires district approval under Section 59-65-40.
Read the South Carolina homeschooling guide
Questions parents ask
- Can we buy a laptop?
- Yes, under the expense rules. The FAQ caps a computer, laptop, or iPad at $1,500 and limits each listed device type to one every two years.
- Is the transportation allowance extra money?
- No. The $3,000 annual transportation limit is a spending limit within the scholarship, not a separate bonus. Use an approved school or transportation provider, submit a separate transaction, and do not claim parent or guardian gas mileage.
- Can ESTF pay for TheHomeschoolingCompany?
- No. TheHomeschoolingCompany is not an approved provider for this program.
Put eligible funds toward the teaching
Choose a curriculum that teaches the courses and grades the work. Check your program’s purchasing rules before using funds to pay for it.
$149/month per child after the trial.