Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program

The Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program is administered by the South Carolina Department of Education that allows qualifying South Carolina families to apply for a scholarship. For the 2026-2027 school year, the awarded amount is $7,634. For the 2027-2028 school year, the awarded amount will be $7,795.

The application for the 2026-2027 school year has been closed, but you can still join the ESTF program waitlist below. Registering for the waitlist will make sure you receive updates on the application for the 2027-2028 school year.

2027-28 Application Windows

November 1, 2026: Returning ESTF Families
January 15, 2027: Priority Application Window
February 16, 2027: General Application Window

IMPORTANT

This is a scholarship for Kindergarteners through 12th grade students.
Students cannot attend their resident zoned public school or homeschool under Option 1, 2, 3.

FAMILIES & STUDENTS

To qualify for the scholarship for the 2027-2028 school year, the student must:

Be a resident of South Carolina.
Must be a K-12 student, has not graduated and have not reached the age of 22.
Have a household income that does not exceed 500% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Cannot attend their resident zoned public school for the 2027-2028 school year.
NOTE: Your resident public school is the school that your student is zoned to attend, based on your address. As part of participation in the ESTF program, a student must be withdrawn from their resident public school.
Cannot receive the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children for the 2027-2028 school year.
Cannot attend homeschool under Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3 for the 2027-2028 school year.

At this time, the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program has reached its maximum capacity of 15,000 awarded students for 2026-2027. Families can register for the 2026-2027 waitlist. Information for the 2027-2028 year as follows:

Window 1: Returning Awarded Students and their Siblings. Opens 8:00 AM November 1, 2026, and closes January 14, 2027. Priority will be given until Window 2 opens. Do NOT apply during this window if you are not a returning ESTF recipient family; doing so may impact your application’s ability to be processed.
Window 2: Priority students. Open 8:00 AM January 15 - February 15, 2027. Students are eligible to apply during this window if they meet at least one of the following categories:
- Household income at or below 300% FPL, OR
- Active-duty parent or guardian stationed in South Carolina, OR
- Attended public school during the 2026-27 school year, OR
- Returning awarded student or sibling who missed Window 1.
Window 3: All eligible students. Opens February 16, 2027, 8:00 AM.

Federal Poverty Guidelines

Persons in Family / Household	300% of the 2026 Federal Poverty Level (2027-28 applications)	500% of the 2026 Federal Poverty Level (2027-28 applications)
1	$47,880	$79,800
2	$64,920	$108,200
3	$81,960	$136,600
4	$99,000	$165,000
5	$116,040	$193,400
6	$133,080	$221,800
7	$150,120	$250,200
8	$167,160	$278,600
Each Additional Person	+$17,040	+$28,400

How have these numbers changed from the 2026-27 application?

Required Documents for the 2027-2028 Application

For a full list of required and potentially required documents please review the information here.

Proof of Guardianship
- Legal documents may include foster paperwork, adoption papers, divorce agreements, the 2025 or 2026 tax return or a birth certificate.
Proof of Income
- Form 1040 Federal Tax Return for 2025 or 2026. If the applicant does not have a 1040, they can file taxes and receive their 1040 through an IRS trusted partner found here. The IRS provides options for low income families to file for free.
Proof of Residency
- Driver's License or State Issued ID, Utility Bills (Gas, Electric, Water), Vehicle registration, Government Agency Issued Mail (TANF, SNAP, voter registration cards, tax assessments, etc.), Mortgage Statements.
Proof of Student Age
- Birth certificate, passport, student driver’s license or state ID, adoption decree/paperwork.
Active-Duty Documentation (If Priority Status Reason is Active Duty Military Family)
- Current Military ID, Leave and Earnings Statement (within 30 days), Orders for Active Duty, Letter from Commanding Officer on military letterhead or a Service Verification Letter.
2026-2027 Public School Attendance Documentation (If Priority Status Reason is Prior Public School Attendance)
- Dated report card from 2026-2027 school year that includes student name and public school name or signed and dated letter from public school administrator on school letterhead

Resources for Families & Students

EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDERS

Thank you for your interest in serving ESTF families & students. Education Service Providers or ESPs are individuals or organizations approved by the South Carolina Department of Education to provide educational goods and services to scholarship students at the direction of their parent or guardian. All ESPs must be approved to participate in the program and the Department has developed an application process which outlines the criteria and timeline for approval.

To submit an application, complete the Education Service Provider application form.
Education Service Provider Application
You will receive notification of the state's decision within 10 business days of your submission.
Within 3 business days of your ESP Application approval, you will receive an email from ClassWallet with instructions on finalizing your registration and creating your ClassWallet account. You must register and link your bank account to receive payments from families and students.

Resources For Service Providers

HELP & SUPPORT

Need help with the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) Program or the ClassWallet platform?

Contact our support team for assistance.

CALL CLASSWALLET

(877) 313-1299
Monday through Friday from 8 am - 8 pm ET
Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm ET

EMAIL CLASSWALLET

help@classwallet.com