South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program

South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) Program is administered by the South Carolina Department of Education and allows qualifying families to apply for scholarship funding to support their child’s education.

The program gives families greater flexibility to personalize their student’s learning experience outside of the traditional public school system. ESTF scholarship funds can be used toward tuition and fees at participating private schools, tutoring, textbooks and materials, and other approved educational expenses.

For the 2025–2026 school year, eligible students may receive $7,500 in scholarship funding. For the 2026–2027 school year, the scholarship amount increases to $7,634.

South Carolina’s ESTF Program helps families access flexible educational opportunities that fit their student’s unique needs. The program provides eligible South Carolina families with:

• Scholarship dollars that can help cover GCPA tuition costs 
• Flexibility to customize a student’s education experience 
• Funding for approved educational expenses beyond tuition 
• Equal opportunity for students to access personalized learning environments 
• A simple process for applying and enrolling in a participating private school 

ESTF scholarship funds can be used to support a wide range of educational needs, helping families build a learning experience that works best for their child.

ESTF scholarship funds can be used for a variety of approved educational expenses, including:

• Private school tuition and fees 
• Tutoring services 
• Textbooks and instructional materials 
• Educational supplies 
• Other approved educational expenses 

The South Carolina Department of Education determines which expenses qualify under the ESTF program.

To qualify for South Carolina’s ESTF Program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Reside within the state of South Carolina 
• Be enrolled in grades K–12 
• Belong to a household with an income that does not exceed 500% of the federal poverty level for the applicable tax year 

Our enrollment consultants are available to help you confirm eligibility and answer questions about the application process.

The application for the 2026–2027 school year has currently closed after reaching the program’s statutory student cap. Families may still join the ESTF waitlist to receive updates if applications reopen for the school year.

When applications are available, families applying to the ESTF program will typically need to provide:

• Proof of guardianship 
• Proof of South Carolina residency 
• Proof of household income 

Examples of accepted documentation may include a birth certificate, tax return, South Carolina driver’s license, utility bill, W-2 form, or lease agreement.

Our enrollment consultants can help guide you through the application and enrollment process and answer any questions along the way.

Once approved for the ESTF program, families can use their scholarship funds to pay tuition at participating private schools like Grand Canyon Private Academy through the ClassWallet platform.

Families can request a tuition quote from GCPA’s enrollment team and submit the required information through their ClassWallet account to process tuition payments directly to the school.

After enrollment documents and tuition payment requirements are completed, students are officially enrolled and families will receive onboarding support before the school year begins.