Homeschool benefits and savings in Laurens County
The Laurens County Future Scholarship pays the tuition and required fees left after federal and state aid for up to four terms at Piedmont Technical College or USC Union, where full-time in-county tuition is $2,700 a term in 2026-27. Laurens County residents qualify within one year of graduating from a public, private, or home school high school program.
Who qualifies
Lives in Laurens County
Your student must be a current resident of Laurens County when the award is made.
Graduated within the past year
Piedmont Technical College says the award must be used within one year of a public, private, or home school high school graduation, so a homeschool graduate qualifies on the same timeline.
Gets federal or state aid
The scholarship is gap funding: it is only available to students who receive federal or state grant or scholarship aid, so your student must file the FAFSA.
Enrolls full time
Your student must take at least 12 credit hours a term at Piedmont Technical College or USC Union in Laurens.
What it is worth
Piedmont Technical College charges Laurens County students $225 per credit hour part time or a flat $2,700 for 12 hours in 2026-27, plus $225 for each hour over 12.
- One class (3 hours)
- $675
- Full-time term (12 hours)
- $2,700
- Maximum funded term (15 hours)
- $3,375
- One year at 12 hours a term
- $5,400
- Four terms at 12 hours a term
- $10,800
The scholarship pays only what federal and state aid leave unpaid, and never more than a per-credit-hour cap the Future Scholarship board sets each year, so ask the program office for this year's cap.
From applying to keeping it
- Senior year
Apply to the college
Apply to Piedmont Technical College online or at the Laurens County Higher Education Center, or apply to USC Union, and pay any application fee.
- By August 1 or December 1
File the FAFSA and register
Complete the application, the FAFSA, and class registration by August 1 for fall or December 1 for spring.
- About two weeks before the term
Award is made
The college screens applicants and sends a list to the Future Scholarship Committee, which approves the awards.
- Each term
Keep making progress
Continuing students must meet the same satisfactory academic progress rules as federal aid recipients, or they lose the scholarship for future terms.
What it pays for
Covered
- Required college fees
- Up to 15 credit hours a term
Not covered
- Books
- Program-specific and class fees
- Incidental expenses
- Summer sessions
- A second major after finishing the first
Who pays first
- Federal grant aid
- State grant and scholarship aid
- Laurens County Future Scholarship
It is last-dollar aid: federal and state aid are applied first, and the Future Scholarship pays the remaining tuition and required fees up to the yearly per-credit-hour cap.
Awards depend on the Future Scholarship program receiving its funding revenue each year.
Who to contact
The Future Scholarship office answers questions about eligibility, the yearly cap, and participating colleges.
futurescholarship@laurenscounty.org 864-681-5223 Eligibility details
Homeschool rules and statewide help in South Carolina
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.
South Carolina sets these rules:
- 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.
South Carolina also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Education Scholarship Trust Fund pays $7,634 for 2026-27. Up to $3,000 of that award may cover approved transportation; it is not extra funding. The program excludes students in Option 1, 2, or 3 homeschool associations. Families on another home-education path must confirm eligibility with the program.
Read the South Carolina homeschooling guide See statewide programs in South Carolina
Questions parents ask
- Can a homeschool graduate get the Laurens County Future Scholarship?
- Yes. Piedmont Technical College lists home school high school graduation alongside public and private school graduation, and your student must use the award within one year of graduating.
- Do we have to file the FAFSA for the Laurens County Future Scholarship?
- Yes. Filing the FAFSA is one of the application steps, and the scholarship only goes to students who receive federal or state grant or scholarship aid.
- Which colleges can my student attend with it?
- Piedmont Technical College or USC Union in Laurens, the two colleges named on the scholarship's application page.
- Can my student go part time?
- No. Piedmont Technical College requires full-time enrollment of at least 12 credit hours, and the scholarship funds no more than 15 credit hours a term.
- Does it pay for summer classes or books?
- No. Summer sessions, books, incidental expenses, and class or program-related fees are not covered.
- Is there a GPA requirement?
- Not for entering students. After the first term, your student must keep satisfactory academic progress under the federal aid rules.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
College classes can cover part of high school. We teach the subjects your child needs alongside them, starting at the right level in each subject.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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