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Homeschooling in South Carolina

A year-round South Carolina homeschool marketplace — curriculum, tutoring, therapy, STEM, arts and enrichment providers, plus a plain-English guide to the Education Scholarship Trust Fund and South Carolina's three homeschool options.

South Carolina homeschooling by topic

Education Scholarship Trust Fund at a glance

Overseen by: South Carolina Department of Education, under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund law (S.C. Code §59-8-110 and following, rewritten by 2025 Act No. 11). The money is held in a trust fund managed by a trustee the State Superintendent appoints.
Administered by: SCDE, with ClassWallet running each student's digital wallet. Families pay approved providers with "Pay Vendor" or shop the ClassWallet Marketplace. There is no reimbursement, and money is never paid to parents.
Amount per student, 2026–27: $7,634 ($7,500 in 2025–26), deposited in four payments of
,908.50 on or before July 31, September 30 and December 31, 2026 and February 28, 2027. By law the amount rises each year with average state per-pupil funding unless the budget sets another figure. Unused money rolls over while the student stays eligible.
Who is eligible: South Carolina residents in grades K–12 who were 5 by September 1 (or had a scholarship the year before), haven't graduated and are under 22, from households at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines (
60,750 for a family of four on the 2025 guidelines). The student can't be enrolled full-time in their zoned public school, can't get an Exceptional SC scholarship the same year, and can't be homeschooled under Option 1, 2 or 3.
Application window / next dates: 2026–27 reached its 15,000-student cap and closed; families can join the waitlist to get 2027–28 updates. By law, each year's early window for current students and their siblings opens November 1, followed by a priority window and then a general window. SCDE says 2027–28 renewals start processing in November 2026. New-applicant dates for 2027–28 haven't been posted.
Homeschool status: Students homeschooled under S.C. Code §59-65-40, 59-65-45 or 59-65-47 (Options 1–3) are not eligible. A family that leaves its homeschool option for the ESTF can still teach at home: the parent's signed ESTF agreement satisfies compulsory attendance (§59-8-115(H)).

Read the full guide: South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) — A Guide for Homeschool Families

Coming up in South Carolina

Mon, Oct 19, 2026 – Mon, Nov 30, 2026 · Coastal Discovery Museum Creature Feature Series
Hilton Head Island · Coastal Discovery Museum, Honey Horn · $7 per person (ages 4 and up)
Weekly Monday live-animal sessions (1:30 and 3:45 p.m.): horseshoe crabs Oct. 19, turtles Oct. 26, anemones Nov. 2, snakes Nov. 9, frogs and toads Nov. 16, marine invertebrates Nov. 23, reptiles Nov. 30.
Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · CLT (Classic Learning Test) Remote Test Date (November 2026)
Online · Remotely proctored (at home) · CLT registration fee (see cltexam.com)
Remotely proctored CLT administration; registration deadline Nov. 5, 2026.
Sat, Nov 14, 2026 · North Greenville University Preview Day (November 2026)
Tigerville · North Greenville University, 7801 N Tigerville Rd, Tigerville · Free
About five hours (8 a.m.–2 p.m. window) with a campus tour, a free meal in the dining hall and a showcase of academics and student organizations.
Sun, Nov 15, 2026 · Ruth Patrick Science Education Center Homeschool Mondays: Early Registration Deadline
Aiken · Ruth Patrick Science Education Center, USC Aiken, 427 Scholar Loop · $50 per student before 5 p.m.; $65 after
Last day for the lower $50 rate for the spring 2027 Homeschool Mondays STEM series.
Mon, Nov 16, 2026 · Autumn Leaves (Homeschool Little Learners, ages 3–5)
Columbia · Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, Discovery Center Classrooms · $40 per participating student per session (3 classes); general admission also required for non-members
Why do leaves change color? Children investigate plants in the fall. Program runs 10:45–11:45am.
Wed, Nov 18, 2026 · Homeschool Hangout (Grades 6-12) at West Ashley Library (November)
Charleston · West Ashley Library (Charleston County Public Library), 45 Windermere Blvd
Monthly drop-in, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where homeschooled 6th to 12th graders meet, play games, read, make crafts or talk in the teen space.
Wed, Nov 18, 2026 · Museum of York County Homeschool Series: Rocks, Minerals and Fossils
Rock Hill · Museum of York County, 4621 Mt. Gallant Rd
1 to 3 p.m. final session of the fall Earth Exploration homeschool series: what rocks, minerals and fossils tell us about Earth's history. Tickets are sold through Culture & Heritage Museums.
Thu, Nov 19, 2026 · Homeschool History Day: Fossil Frenzy
Charleston · The Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St ·
0 per student,
5 per adult (members: $5 student, adults free)
Students learn how fossils form and what scientists learn from them, examine fossils and cast one to take home. The museum runs Homeschool History Day sessions at 10 and 11:30 a.m. each month, September to May.
Thu, Nov 19, 2026 · Homeschool Hub at Cayce-West Columbia Branch Library
West Columbia · Cayce-West Columbia Branch Library, 1500 Augusta Rd
10 a.m. session for grades K to 5 exploring history, culture, science and other topics through hands-on activities and conversation. The branch lists another session on Dec. 10, 2026.
Thu, Nov 19, 2026 · SC State Museum Homeschool Thursday (November)
Columbia · South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St · Free admission for a registered homeschool teacher and students; planetarium and 4D $3 per person; STEAM programs free
Afternoon (2–3:30 p.m.) for SC homeschool families: planetarium (Arora and Live Sky), 4D film (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 4D) and STEAM program Matter Matters. Online registration closes at noon the Wednesday before.

See all 113 upcoming South Carolina events

South Carolina homeschool & school choice news

South Carolina Legislature Online - Amendment History — South Carolina Legislature Online
SC Education Scholarship Trust Fund: 2027-28 applications and waitlist — SC Department of Education ESTF program site
South Carolina Microschool Families Win in Budget Deal — National Microschooling Center
Cyberattack targeted SC's K-12 vouchers. Officials trying to recover an estimated
00,000. — The Post and Courier
Former school administrator challenges think tank founder for SC superintendent — SC Daily Gazette

All news & regulations

Co-ops, groups and vendors

246 homeschool co-ops, support groups, microschools and hybrid schools across South Carolina — browse the list. Homeschool vendors serving South Carolina.

Homeschooling by city

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Articles for South Carolina families

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