Education Scholarship Trust Fund
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Additional Resources
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South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program
The Education Scholarship Trust Fund application opens on January 15th 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year!
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
On May 5th, 2023, Governor Henry McMaster signed into law the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Act. This program is similar to other Education Savings Account programs across the country. This program provides scholarships that allows for parents to cover the costs of the education that they think is best for their children, including private school tuition and fees, homeschool programs, textbooks and supplies, tutors, and many other services and tools that are approved by South Carolina Department of Education. The scholarship is $6,000.
Is my child eligible for the ESTF program?
The requirements for the scholarship are as follows:- Your child must be a South Carolina resident
- Have attended a South Carolina public school during the previous school year, OR have not yet attained the age of five on or before September 1 of the previous school year but have attained the age of five on or before September 1 of the current school year, OR have received a scholarship the previous school year; AND
- Your household income cannot exceed 200% of the federal poverty guidelines (Please see chart of poverty guidelines here).
- Note: Students currently enrolled in a public charter school, home school students, and students participating in the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children’s Fund program are not eligible for this scholarship program.
What if my household income does not meet the requirements for the 2024-2025 school year?
For the 2024-2025 school year, the scholarship requires that you have a household income below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. However, in coming years, the program will expand to include more South Carolina families.
School Year % of Poverty Guidelines Eligible # of Scholarships Available Annually 2024-2025 200% Up to 5,000
scholarships/year2025-2026 300% Up to 10,000
scholarships/year2026-2027 and subsequent school years 400% Up to 15,000 scholarships/year
What if the scholarship does not cover all of the costs of my child's private school education?
Any ESA qualifying family applying to a school whose tuition is above $6,000 will need to apply for financial aid through the individual schools via FACTS Grant and Aid. However, the ESA will be calculated in when determined how much aid that your family will receive. For example, if it is determined that you need $10,000. the ESA will be considered with it, meaning you would recieve an additional $4,000 in aid, etc. -
More about School Choice
The Catholic Church has always taught that parents have the right and responsibility to serve as the first and primary educators of their children. The Church has advanced parental choice as a fundamental part of its mission in written word and lived witness. Quality and equal educational opportunities are the birthright of every child.
The S.C. Catholic Conference advocates for school choice intitatives that allows all families to choose the proper education for their children. -