COLUMBIA, S.C. — Parents and guardians of school-aged children in South Carolina are reminded to apply for scholarships from the state's Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) Program before the March 15 deadline.
The scholarships, worth $6,000 per student, are available to qualifying families on a first-come, first-served basis and can be used "to create a customized, flexible education for their child."
To be eligible for a scholarship, each student must:
- be a resident of South Carolina AND
- have attended a South Carolina public school during the previous year, OR have not yet turned five years old on or before September 1 of the previous school year but did turn five years old on or before September 1 of the current school year, OR have received a scholarship the previous school year AND
- have a household income that in the 2024-25 school year does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty guidelines; in the 2025-26 school year does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty guidelines; in the 2026-27 and later school years, does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty guidelines
Students who are NOT eligible for the ESTF program scholarships include:
- students currently enrolled in a public charter school
- home school students
- students participating in the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children's Fund Program
Applications are available online. To complete the application, you will need the following documents:
- proof of guardianship (recent tax return with dependents listed, your child(ren)'s birth certificate, etc.)
- proof of income (2022 or 2023 tax return documentation or information on income)
- proof of residency (South Carolina driver's license or state-issued ID, utility bill, etc.)
Completed applications will be reviewed to verify eligibility. Please allow up to 14 days for this process to be completed. Applicants will receive an email notifying you of the eligibility decision.
Once a student is approved, the parent or guardian will receive an email from ClassWallet with instructions on accessing the funds, allotted in quarterly installments beginning in late July 2024.
So, how can the money be spent? The $6,000 can be used for the following eligible education expenses:
- Tuition and fees of an education service provider
- Textbooks, curriculum, or other instructional materials including, but not limited to, any supplemental materials or associated online instruction required by either a curriculum or an education service provider
- Tutoring services approved by the Department of Education
- Computer hardware or other technological devices that are used primarily for a scholarship student's educational needs and approved by the department or a licensed physician
- Tuition and fees for an approved nonpublic online education service provider or course
- Fees for approved:
- National norm-referenced examinations, advanced placement examinations, or similar assessments,
- Industry certification exams or
- Examinations related to college or university admission
- Educational services for pupils with disabilities from a licensed or accredited practitioner or provider including, but not limited to, occupational, behavioral, physical, and speech-language therapies
- Approved contracted services from a public school district, including individual classes, after-school tutoring services, transportation, or fees or costs associated with participation in extracurricular activities
- Contracted teaching services and education classes approved by the Department of Education
- Fees for transportation paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider for the scholarship student to travel to and from an eligible provider as defined in this section, not to exceed $750 for each school year
- Fees for account management by private financial management firms approved by the department
- Any other educational expense approved by the Department of Education
Learn more at classwallet.com.