Quick answer: The South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) is a state-funded account that pays $7,634 per student for the 2026-27 school year toward approved education costs, including tuition and fees at an approved online education provider or course. A student must live in South Carolina, be in an eligible household (income up to 500% of the federal poverty guidelines for 2026-27) and not be enrolled full time in the zoned public school. The program runs under a 2025 law, Act No. 11, passed after a September 2024 state Supreme Court ruling. The 2026-27 application is closed at the program’s cap, and a waitlist is open.
This guide explains how the SC ESTF works for a family weighing an online private school: its legal status, who qualifies, the amount, the application windows, how a school becomes an approved provider and how money moves from the state to the school. Every rule below comes from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) program materials, the state’s Code of Laws or the court’s opinion, and we read each source on October 10, 2026. For the wider picture across states, see our hub on school choice, ESAs and vouchers for online school.
Table of Contents
Is the South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund still in effect?
Yes. The state’s ESTF program site, which carries the SCDE logo, shows the program operating for 2026-27. Here is how it got there.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The General Assembly creates the ESTF through 2023 Act No. 8. | Court opinion |
| September 11, 2024 | In Eidson v. South Carolina Department of Education (Opinion No. 28235), the South Carolina Supreme Court holds that ESTF funds are public funds and that the parts of the Act allowing payment of tuition and fees at private education service providers violate Article XI, Section 4 of the state constitution. The court severs the provision for “tuition and fees for an approved nonpublic online education service provider or course” and bars the Department from paying tuition and fees to nonpublic providers. The rest of the Act stands, so tutoring, therapies, materials and similar expenses continue. | Court opinion |
| May 7, 2025 | The Governor signs Bill 62 as Act No. 11, which rewrites the program for 2025-26 and later years. | Bill 62 page |
| Current law | The current code lists “tuition and fees for an approved online education service provider or course” and tuition and fees at an education service provider or eligible school among qualifying expenses. | S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 8 |
We did not find a court order that changes Act No. 11. The ruling above applied to the 2023 version of the law. Rules and amounts have changed from year to year, so read the program site again before you apply.
Who qualifies for the SC ESTF in 2026-27?
The program site and the SCDE participant FAQ list these conditions for 2026-27:
- Residency. The student lives in South Carolina.
- Age and grade. The student is in kindergarten through grade 12, is at least five by September 1, has not graduated and is under 22.
- Income. Household income is at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines. It was 300% for 2025-26. The statute sets both limits in section 59-8-110.
- Not in the zoned public school full time. The student does not attend the resident public school, meaning the school the district has zoned for the child. The FAQ says students may use the ESTF while attending a public school that is not their zoned school, and that charter school students may enroll.
- Not homeschooling under Options 1, 2 or 3. The FAQ says families enrolled in an Option 1 to 3 homeschool association are not eligible.
- No Exceptional Needs tax credit scholarship. Students in the state’s Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children program are excluded.
Attending public school the year before is not required. Under Act No. 11 it is one way to qualify for a priority window, covered below.
The income limits in the table come from the SCDE participant FAQ, which uses the 2025 federal poverty guidelines. The FAQ lists households up to eight people.
| Household size | 300% of the guideline | 500% of the guideline |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
How much is the ESTF, and when is it paid?
The SCDE 2026-27 participant guide (updated May 2026) sets the award at $7,634 per student, up from $7,500 in 2025-26. The statute says later years rise with the change in average per-pupil state funding, so the 2027-28 figure is not set in the materials we read. Money arrives in four deposits of $1,908.50, on or before July 31, September 30, December 31 and February 28.
Worked example
This is an illustration with a made-up tuition of $9,000 for one student. It is not any school’s price. The deposit dates and amounts come from the participant guide.
| Deposit | Due on or before | Amount | Total deposited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 31, 2026 | $1,908.50 | $1,908.50 |
| 2 | September 30, 2026 | $1,908.50 | $3,817.00 |
| 3 | December 31, 2026 | $1,908.50 | $5,725.50 |
| 4 | February 28, 2027 | $1,908.50 | $7,634.00 |
Against $9,000, the ESTF covers $7,634 across the year and the family pays the other $1,366 to the school. The guide says a payment to a provider can be made before or after the service, so ask the school how it bills between deposits. Unused money rolls over for a returning participant, and money left when a student leaves the program goes back to the state.
When can you apply for the South Carolina ESTF?
As of October 10, 2026, the program site says the 2026-27 application is closed because the statutory student cap was reached, with 15,000 students awarded. It offers a waitlist for updates on the 2027-28 application. The participant guide says renewal details for 2027-28 come in October 2026 and that renewals start processing in November 2026. We did not find 2027-28 dates for new applicants.
For reference, the 2026-27 cycle used three windows, according to the SCDE FAQ. Within each window, applications are processed in the order received (section 59-8-115).
| Window | Who | Dates in the 2026-27 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Returning awarded students and their siblings | November 1 to January 14 |
| 2 | Priority students: active-duty parent or guardian stationed in South Carolina, household income at or below 300% of the guideline, public school attendance in the prior year, or a returning student or sibling who missed Window 1 | January 15 to February 8 |
| 3 | All eligible students at or below 500% | Opens February 9 |
The FAQ lists the documents to have ready: proof of guardianship, proof of South Carolina residency and proof of income (an IRS Form 1040, pages 1 and 2, or other documents for non-taxable income). Military orders and a prior-year public school report card are optional and only needed if you claim that priority.
Can the ESTF pay for an online private school?
The state lists it as an allowed use. The participant guide names “Tuition and Fees for an Approved Nonpublic Online Education Service Provider or Course,” and ClassWallet, the payment platform, has an expense category called “tuition and fees for online schools.” The key word is approved. The money moves only to a provider the state has approved.
These are the provider rules we found:
- Approval by SCDE. The provider applies through an online application, open all year. Parents cannot apply for a provider, and the guide says applications from parents are rejected.
- ClassWallet registration. After approval, the provider registers with ClassWallet and links a bank account. A provider that has not finished this cannot receive payments.
- Independent schools. The provider guide says independent schools must be organized as nonprofits. Section 59-8-140 directs the Department to require an independent school applying as a provider to be located in South Carolina, to have a curriculum that covers the state’s diploma requirements and to meet compulsory attendance and State Board of Education approval requirements.
- Background checks. Facilities attest that they check staff. Individual providers complete a background check.
- Yearly renewal. Providers reapply each year and submit prior-year test data (section 59-8-140).
- Money rules. A provider may not refund or share scholarship money with a parent or student (section 59-8-120), and the Department can reject an invoice that is not reasonable.
The materials we read describe online providers and courses as their own category, and they do not say how the “located in South Carolina” rule applies to an online school based in another state. That is a question for the school and for SCDE.
You can check the state’s list of approved education service providers. The same list shows inside ClassWallet.
How the payment flow works
- Apply and receive an award. Approval creates a ClassWallet digital wallet for each student, and ClassWallet emails a welcome message.
- Accept the affidavit. The parent accepts the ESTF affidavit inside ClassWallet for each student. The balance stays hidden until this is done.
- Pick an approved provider. Providers appear in ClassWallet. Choose one that is approved and registered.
- Get an invoice. It must show the provider’s name and address, student name, parent name, invoice date, service date, what the payment is for and the total due. The provider guide says handwritten documents are not accepted.
- Pay through “Pay Vendor.” The parent uploads the invoice and submits the payment. Program administrators review it. If they reject it, the parent gets an email and the funds go back to the wallet right away.
- The provider is paid. The provider FAQ says providers are paid securely by ACH to their bank account.
There is no reimbursement. A family cannot pay a school first and claim the money back. For new families, only invoices for services dated July 1, 2026 or later are approved. Transportation fees need a separate invoice from tuition.
What families agree to, and the testing rule
Under section 59-8-115, the parent signs a yearly attestation that includes these points:
- The student receives instruction in at least English language arts (including writing), math, social studies and science.
- The student takes the required assessments.
- The money goes only to qualifying expenses at approved providers.
- The student is not enrolled full time in the resident public school and is not in a home instruction program under the state’s homeschool options.
- Nonpublic providers are not subject to the federal special education law (IDEA) and need not offer the same services as the zoned public school.
The FAQ says the signed agreement also satisfies the state’s compulsory attendance requirement.
Testing starts in grade 3. The FAQ accepts the state tests (SC READY or SC PASS), a nationally norm-referenced test such as the Iowa assessments, or an approved formative assessment such as MAP Growth given three times a year. Students in grades 9 to 12 may use a college or career readiness test such as the ACT, SAT or PSAT. Even when a school handles the testing, the parent files the ESTF Testing Report Form and sends the score report to SCDE. Students whose IEP exempts them send the IEP to the program office.
Does the ESTF fit your situation?
| Your child today | What the state pages say | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| In the zoned public school | Eligible if the student leaves the zoned school. Public school the year before counts toward priority. | Join the waitlist and watch for the 2027-28 window. |
| In a public charter school | The FAQ says charter students may enroll. | Join the waitlist. |
| Homeschooling under Option 1, 2 or 3 | Not eligible while enrolled in an Option 1 to 3 association. | Read the program’s eligibility page before changing anything. |
| In a South Carolina nonprofit private school | Tuition and fees are allowed when the school is an approved provider. | Check the approved list. |
| Considering an online private school | Online tuition is an allowed expense when the provider is approved. | Ask the school if it is on the list and how it bills. |
| Household above 500% of the guideline | Above the 2026-27 income limit. | Ask the school about its payment options. |
Questions to ask an online school before you enroll
- Are you an approved ESTF education service provider, and under what name?
- Are you registered in ClassWallet, so I can find you under “Pay Vendor”?
- Which categories do you invoice under: tuition and fees for an online school, or individual courses?
- Can you send me the full-year tuition and every fee in writing?
- How do you bill between the four deposits?
- Which approved test do South Carolina students take, who gives it and how do I report the score?
- Do you accept enrollment while a family is on the waitlist, and how is tuition billed until an award is funded?
- What happens to the account if we move or change schools?
Where Forest Trail Academy fits
Forest Trail Academy is a private, accredited, secular online K-12 school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Courses are self-paced, taught by certified teachers, and enrollment is open any week of the year. Its voucher program page lists South Carolina among the states it covers, but it does not name a South Carolina program. It says guidelines and eligibility vary by state and can change, and it asks families to contact admissions to confirm how their state program applies. So ask admissions whether FTA can be paid from the ESTF, and check the state’s approved list for the school’s name.
FTA’s South Carolina page describes its programs for South Carolina students. The tuition page and the tuition rates page list current prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SC ESTF?
It is South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund, a program run by the South Carolina Department of Education. Eligible families receive a scholarship for approved education costs, spent through a ClassWallet account.
How much is the South Carolina ESTF?
$7,634 per student for 2026-27 and $7,500 for 2025-26, according to the SCDE participant guide and FAQ.
Is the SC ESTF legal after the Supreme Court ruling?
The September 2024 ruling in Eidson v. South Carolina Department of Education applied to the 2023 law. The General Assembly rewrote the program in Act No. 11, signed May 7, 2025, and the program is operating under that law. We found no later order changing it.
Can I use the ESTF for private school tuition?
Yes, at approved providers. The current code lists tuition and fees at an education service provider or eligible school, and independent schools must be South Carolina nonprofits.
Can I use the ESTF for an online school?
The code and the participant guide list tuition and fees for an approved online provider or course as a qualifying expense. The provider must be approved by SCDE and registered with ClassWallet.
Who is eligible for the SC ESTF?
South Carolina residents in kindergarten through grade 12 with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines for 2026-27 who are not enrolled full time in the zoned public school or in an Option 1 to 3 homeschool association.
Is the 2026-27 application still open?
No. The program site says the cap was reached. You can join the waitlist for the 2027-28 application.
Can families be reimbursed for tuition paid out of pocket?
No. All payments go through ClassWallet to approved providers.
Book a call with admissions to ask whether your South Carolina ESTF can be applied to Forest Trail Academy tuition.
