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South Carolina ESTF for homeschool families

Education savings account · South Carolina · 2026-27 · checked Oct 12, 2026 against 4 sources · General information, not legal or financial advice.

Your South Carolina ESTF to-do

  1. Enroll in the program's own category
    Families can educate at home with ESTF money, but not as a registered homeschool: the parent attests not to take part in a home instruction program (Option 1, 2 or 3) for the year, and the signed ESTF agreement satisfies compulsory attendance instead. The child cannot attend the zoned resident public school. Household income must be at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines.
  2. Quarterly deposits ($1,908.50)
    On or before July 31, September 30 and December 31, 2026, and February 28, 2027.
  3. Renew for 2027-28 (Window 1: returning students and siblings)
    Opens November 1 and closes January 14; renewals for 2027-28 start processing in November 2026.
  4. Window 2: priority new applicants
    January 15 to February 8 (active-duty families stationed in SC, income at or below 300% FPL, or prior-year public school).
  5. Window 3: all eligible students
    Opens February 9, until the cap is reached, then a waitlist.
  6. Report test results
    After you receive the score report (no fixed date published).

Print the receipt checklist

What a valid South Carolina ESTF receipt shows, and a log to fill in.

What South Carolina ESTF says

Education Scholarship Trust Fund, run by South Carolina Department of Education (ClassWallet for programmatic support).

Homeschoolers
Only by enrolling in the program's own category
Families can educate at home with ESTF money, but not as a registered homeschool: the parent attests not to take part in a home instruction program (Option 1, 2 or 3) for the year, and the signed ESTF agreement satisfies compulsory attendance instead. The child cannot attend the zoned resident public school. Household income must be at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Amount
WhoGradesPer year
GeneralK-12$7,634
2026-27 (up from $7,500 in 2025-26; the law raises it each year by the growth in state per-pupil funding). Paid in four deposits of $1,908.50, the first by July 31, 2026.
What you can spend on
  • Tuition and Fees for in-person independent schools
  • Tuition and fees for online schools
  • Tuition or fees for services provided by a school district
  • Tutoring (either in-person or online)
  • Educational Therapies
  • Textbooks and Reading Books
  • Curriculum
  • Instructional Materials (i.e school supplies)
  • Computers and Technological Devices
  • Testing
  • Transportation
  • Uniforms
What a receipt must show
  • Every 'Pay Vendor' payment needs an invoice showing: provider name and address, student name, parent name, date of invoice, date of service, type of service (what the payment is for) and total amount due
  • Transportation fees must be on a separate invoice (up to $3,000 a year)
  • For new families, only invoices for services provided after July 1, 2026 are approved
  • Providers must give parents an invoice for services or a receipt for goods; the Department may reject any invoice that is not within reason
Where you submit
ClassWallet (Digital Wallet, Marketplace and Pay Vendor)
Direct pay: the program pays approved vendors
Learning plan
Not required
Testing
Yes. Students in grades 3-11 test every year: SC READY/SC PASS, a nationally norm-referenced summative test (such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills) or an approved formative test given three times a year (such as MAP); grades 9-12 may use ACT, SAT or PSAT. The parent fills in the ESTF Testing Report Form and emails the score report to ESTFProgram@ed.sc.gov. A student with an IEP exempting them sends the IEP.
Renewal
Yearly: current participants indicate they want to stay in the program during the early window opening November 1 (renewals for 2027-28 start processing in November 2026). Unused funds roll over for a student who reapplies and stays eligible.
The 2026-27 cap of 15,000 students was reached; new families can only join the waitlist.
2025 Act No. 11 (S.62, effective May 7, 2025) re-created the program as a trust after the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down the earlier version (Eidson v. South Carolina Department of Education, 2024). Income limit 300% FPL in 2025-26, 500% FPL from 2026-27; cap 10,000 in 2025-26, at least 15,000 from 2026-27.
Spending limits in the May 2026 participant guide: computers and tablets $1,000 each (one every 2 years), monitors and printers $300 each, headphones $100 a year, calculators $200 a year, art supplies $500 a year, uniforms $500 a year, transportation $3,000 a year. The older FAQ lists higher limits ($1,500 computers, $200 headphones).
Food, field trip, fundraising, graduation and child care fees are not approved; tutors need at least a bachelor's degree.

Sources

General information, not legal or financial advice. Programs change their rules every year; check with South Carolina Department of Education (ClassWallet for programmatic support) before you spend. If something looks wrong, tell us.

How Homepen helps

Homepen keeps your days, hours and records, and reminds you of the testing deadline. A receipt vault (snap a receipt, pick the child and category, mark it submitted) is coming in a later version.

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