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South Carolina ESA and voucher money for homeschoolers

Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF): what taking the money does to your homeschool status, then the amount, who can apply, what it buys and how vendors are approved.

This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and South Carolina's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.

Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on against the sources linked on this page.

What taking the money does to your homeschool status

A program exists, and taking the money changes your homeschool status. Students homeschooled under Option 1, 2 or 3 are not eligible. A family can still teach at home with the scholarship, and the signed agreement then satisfies compulsory attendance instead of a homeschool option. ESTF students in the tested grades take required tests.

Source: SC Department of Education: ESTF FAQ

How much
$7,634 per student for 2026–27 and $7,795 for 2027–28.Source: SC Department of Education: ESTF FAQ; South Carolina ESTF program site (ClassWallet, linked by the Department of Education)
Who can apply
South Carolina residents in K–12 with household income up to 500% of the federal poverty guidelines. 2026–27 is full at the 15,000-student limit.Source: SC Department of Education: Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program; SC Department of Education: ESTF FAQ
What it can pay for
Families teaching at home use it for curricular materials, technology, tutoring and educational therapies; transportation through an approved provider up to $3,000 a year. There is no reimbursement: the money sits in a ClassWallet digital wallet.Source: SC Department of Education: ESTF FAQ
How vendors and providers are approved
Education service providers apply on the program site; the state decides within 10 business days, then ClassWallet sets up the account.Source: South Carolina ESTF program site (ClassWallet, linked by the Department of Education)
How and when to apply
2027–28 windows: November 1, 2026 for returning families, January 15, 2027 for priority applicants and February 16, 2027 for everyone.Source: South Carolina ESTF program site (ClassWallet, linked by the Department of Education)
Court cases
In September 2024 the state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to use ESTF money for tuition at independent schools and online programs; the Department's report says philanthropy, and later the General Assembly, stepped in for affected families.Source: SC Department of Education: Education Scholarship Trust Fund report

The program's own page: Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF). Programs change their amounts, dates and rules every year, so read the current handbook before you apply or spend.

Before you decide

  • Read what the money changes first. In some states taking it means you are no longer homeschooling under the homeschool law, and the program's own rules (an agreement, tests, a learning plan) apply instead.
  • Keep every receipt and the program's approval emails; programs ask for them.
  • Peabody Teach is free and sells nothing, so it is not a vendor in any program and has no stake in what you buy. There are no affiliate links on this page.

South Carolina checklist for this year · ESA and voucher money in every state

Where this comes from

Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in South Carolina; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.