South Carolina Education Funding Programs: The Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) Explained
South Carolina's Education Scholarship Trust Fund explained for parents: $7,634 per student for 2026-27 paid quarterly through ClassWallet, the 500% of poverty income limit, priority windows, the 15,000-student cap, how home-educating families can and cannot use it, approved expenses, testing rules and renewal. Last verified October 2026.
Quick answer: South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) pays $7,634 per K-12 student for 2026-27, in four deposits of $1,908.50 through ClassWallet. Families qualify with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines ($160,750 for a family of four) if the student does not attend their zoned public school. The 2026-27 application has closed because the program reached its statutory limit of 15,000 students. Students enrolled in a homeschool Option 1, 2 or 3 association cannot participate, but families who educate at home under the ESTF agreement itself can use the money for curriculum, tutoring, technology and therapies.
South Carolina’s ESTF is administered by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). The program was relaunched by a 2025 law after the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down the original version in September 2024, and it doubled its income limit for the 2026-27 school year.
This guide covers the award amount and deposit schedule, who qualifies, the application priority windows, the unusual rule for home-educating families, approved expenses and price limits, testing requirements and what to expect for 2027-28. It is part of our parent’s guide to state education funding programs.
Last verified October 2026 against the SCDE’s ESTF program page, the SCDE’s ESTF Frequently Asked Questions and the 2026-2027 ESTF Participant Guide (updated May 2026). Rules can change by law or regulation, so confirm details with the SCDE. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
How the ESTF Works
According to the SCDE’s ESTF FAQ, the program lets qualifying South Carolina families with a K-12 student apply for a scholarship that can be used to build a customized education. The state contracts with ClassWallet to manage the funds and the digital wallet that families use to pay providers and buy approved items.
Award amount and deposit schedule
The scholarship was $7,500 for 2025-26 and rises to $7,634 for 2026-27. Four quarterly deposits of $1,908.50 each are listed in the Participant Guide:
| Deposit | On or before |
|---|---|
| 1 | July 31, 2026 |
| 2 | September 30, 2026 |
| 3 | December 31, 2026 |
| 4 | February 28, 2027 |
No reimbursement
Every payment and purchase must go through ClassWallet. The SCDE is clear that there is no reimbursement to families, so do not pay a provider out of pocket expecting to be paid back.
Funds stay with the student while eligible
The FAQ says ESTF funds do not expire as long as the student remains eligible. Eligibility ends if the student graduates from high school, moves out of South Carolina or transfers to a public school in their residential district. If a student leaves or is removed from the program, the Participant Guide says remaining funds return to the state.
Who Qualifies
The FAQ lists three requirements for 2026-27:
- The student is a South Carolina resident.
- Household income does not exceed 500% of the federal poverty guidelines.
- The family agrees to enroll the student, in any grade from kindergarten through 12th, in a school other than a public school in their residential school district.
For 2025-26, the income limit was 300% of the poverty guidelines. The FAQ’s table uses 2025 federal poverty guidelines:
| Household size | 300% of poverty guideline | 500% of poverty guideline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $46,950 | $78,250 |
| 2 | $63,450 | $105,750 |
| 3 | $79,950 | $133,250 |
| 4 | $96,450 | $160,750 |
| 5 | $112,950 | $188,250 |
| 6 | $129,450 | $215,750 |
| 7 | $145,950 | $243,250 |
| 8 | $162,450 | $270,750 |
Public school options
An ESTF participant cannot be a full-time student at their resident (zoned) public school. The FAQ says students can use ESTF while attending a public school that is not their zoned school, and all charter school students may enroll in ESTF. Some services from a non-resident public school, such as individual classes or after-school tutoring, are approved expenses.
Documents for the application
- Proof of guardianship, such as a birth certificate, a tax return claiming the child as a dependent or an adoption decree.
- Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or state ID, utility bill, government mail or mortgage statement.
- Proof of income, such as pages 1 and 2 of IRS Form 1040 for 2024 or 2025, or documentation of non-taxable income.
- Optional: military orders for active-duty priority, and a 2025-26 report card to show prior public school attendance.
Priority Windows and the 15,000-Student Cap
State law caps participation, and the SCDE’s program page says the 2026-27 application closed after reaching the statutory limit of 15,000 students. Applications are reviewed in three windows, according to the FAQ:
| Window | Who | 2026-27 dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Returning awarded students and their siblings | November 1 to January 14 |
| 2 | Priority students: active-duty parent stationed in South Carolina, household income at or below 300% of poverty, prior-year public school attendance, or a returning student or sibling who missed Window 1 | January 15 to February 8 |
| 3 | All eligible students with household income at or below 500% of poverty | Opened February 9 |
Planning for 2027-28
The Participant Guide says families will have a chance to renew at the end of the school year and that information on the 2027-28 renewal process will be provided to families in October 2026. If the next cycle follows the same pattern, returning families would apply first starting around November 1, priority groups in mid-January, and everyone else in February. Watch ESTFSC.com and your email for the official dates. New families who do not fall into a priority group should apply the day their window opens, since the cap filled during the 2026-27 cycle.
Can Homeschoolers Use the ESTF?
South Carolina handles home education differently from most states, so read this section carefully.
Option 1, 2 and 3 homeschool families are not eligible
South Carolina law lets families satisfy compulsory attendance through three homeschool options: approval by the local school district (Option 1), membership in the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (Option 2), or membership in a homeschool association with at least 50 members (Option 3). The SCDE FAQ says that a family enrolled in an Option 1, 2 or 3 association is not eligible to participate in ESTF.
Educating at home under the ESTF agreement
The FAQ also explains that the signed agreement a family accepts with an ESTF award itself satisfies compulsory attendance requirements, under Section 59-8-115(i) of the South Carolina Code. According to the SCDE, some families choose to educate at home through ESTF and use the funds for curriculum, technology, tutoring and educational therapies. To participate, the student cannot attend their resident public school and cannot be enrolled in an Option 1, 2 or 3 association.
What to weigh before switching
Families moving from an Option association to ESTF give up the association’s structure and support in exchange for funding and the program’s own rules, including annual testing for grades 3 to 11 (see below). Leaving the program later means re-establishing a homeschool option or enrolling in a school. Our guide on whether homeschoolers can use state education funds compares South Carolina’s approach with other states.
What ESTF Money Can Pay For
The FAQ and Participant Guide list approved expense categories. In summary:
- Tuition and fees at an approved independent school, including enrollment, technology and testing fees. Food, field trip, fundraising, graduation and child care fees are not approved.
- Tuition and fees for approved nonpublic online programs and courses in core subjects, art, music, test prep and study skills.
- Textbooks, workbooks and curriculum in math, English, science, social studies, foreign language, art and music.
- Reading books consistent with the literature allowed in school libraries under state law.
- Instructional materials and supplies for individual student use (no bulk orders).
- Computer hardware and technological devices, within price limits.
- Tutoring in core subjects, art and music from approved tutors.
- Educational therapies for students with disabilities, including ABA, speech, physical, occupational and vision therapy and dyslexia and dysgraphia therapies.
- Services from a non-resident public school, such as individual classes, after-school tutoring, extracurricular fees and out-of-district fees.
- Transportation fees through an approved school or provider, up to $3,000 a year, submitted as a separate transaction. Parent mileage does not qualify.
For a cross-state comparison of allowable expenses, see our guide to what education savings account funds can pay for.
Price limits
The FAQ sets limits on several items:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Computers, laptops, iPads | Up to $1,500; one of each type every two years |
| Monitors and printers | Up to $300; one every two years |
| Headphones | Up to $200 a year |
| Calculators | $200 a year total; one graphing calculator every two years |
| Printer toner | $100 per cartridge, $300 a year |
| Musical instruments | $500 a year to buy, or $150 a month to rent |
| Uniforms | $500 a year |
| Thumb drives, external drives, memory cards | $50 or less each |
The Participant Guide also limits art supplies to $500 per academic year.
Paying providers
To pay a provider directly, you need an invoice showing the provider’s name and address, the student and parent names, the invoice and service dates, what the payment is for and the total. Providers must be approved by the SCDE and registered with ClassWallet; the Participant Guide says tutors need at least a bachelor’s degree and therapists a valid license. A parent cannot apply on a provider’s behalf.
Testing and Reporting Requirements
ESTF students must test each year. According to the FAQ, every ESTF student currently in grades 3 to 11 must complete required testing using one of these options:
- SC READY or SCPASS, the tests used in public schools.
- A nationally norm-referenced summative test, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
- An approved formative assessment given three times a year, such as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).
- For high school students, a college or career readiness test such as the ACT, SAT or PSAT in place of one of the above.
Families complete the ESTF Testing Report Form for each student and email a PDF of the score report to ESTFProgram@ed.sc.gov. Even when a school handles testing, parents must confirm it was done and submit the form and score report. Students whose IEP exempts them from testing should send the IEP documentation to the same address.
Before You Use the Funds: The Affidavit
Families must accept the ESTF Program Affidavit in ClassWallet before using any money. The link appears in the Balance tile once the account is funded and must be accepted for each student. Selecting “Reject” withdraws the student; contact ClassWallet support to reset it if that happens by mistake.
Other South Carolina Options
ESTF is the state’s main education savings account, but it is not the only form of help.
Exceptional SC
Students with exceptional needs who attend participating private schools may be able to receive tuition grants through Exceptional SC, a scholarship funding organization supported by a state tax-credit program. Eligibility rules and award amounts are set by the program; check with Exceptional SC and the school.
Public school choice
Families can also look at charter schools, the state’s virtual public school options and district transfer policies. These remain public school options and are separate from ESTF, though charter students may also enroll in ESTF according to the FAQ.
South Carolina Compared With Its Neighbors
Neighboring states take different approaches. Georgia’s Promise Scholarship is tied to students zoned for lower-performing schools; see our Georgia education funding guide. North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarships are open to all income levels with awards tiered by income; see our North Carolina education funding guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the South Carolina ESTF scholarship?
$7,634 per student for 2026-27, paid in four deposits of $1,908.50 through ClassWallet, according to the SCDE.
Who qualifies for ESTF in 2026-27?
South Carolina residents in grades K-12 with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines who agree not to attend their zoned public school.
Can I still apply for 2026-27?
No. The SCDE says the 2026-27 application closed after reaching the statutory limit of 15,000 students. Information on 2027-28 renewals was expected in October 2026.
Can homeschoolers use ESTF?
Families enrolled in a homeschool Option 1, 2 or 3 association are not eligible. The ESTF agreement itself satisfies compulsory attendance, so some families educate at home through ESTF instead and use the funds for curriculum, technology, tutoring and therapies.
Do ESTF students have to take tests?
Yes. Students in grades 3 to 11 must complete a state test, a nationally norm-referenced test, an approved formative assessment or, in high school, a college readiness test, and families must report results to the SCDE.
Can I be reimbursed for purchases?
No. All payments and purchases must be made through ClassWallet.
Sources
- South Carolina Department of Education, Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program page (2026-27 application status).
- South Carolina Department of Education, ESTF Frequently Asked Questions (eligibility, priority windows, homeschool rule, expenses, limits, testing).
- South Carolina Department of Education, 2026-2027 ESTF Participant Guide (updated May 2026).
- South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 59, Chapter 8.
