South Carolina school choice program fills 10,000 slots ahead of fall launch

South Carolina’s renewed school choice program is off to a robust start, with the 10,000 slots available this fall already filled – more than triple last year’s enrollment.

The Palmetto State passed the new Education Scholarship Trust Fund program after the state Supreme Court voided its previous school choice program in September 2024. The updated version is on track for a bigger and better year: Twice as many students are eligible, and the grants are $7,500 each, up from $6,000.

“This is an exciting milestone in South Carolina’s education freedom journey,” State Superintendent Ellen Weaver said in a statement. “This program puts hardworking families in the driver’s seat – empowering them to shape an education as unique as their child.”

While the court’s decision was disruptive, it drew more attention to the new program. The legal fight also galvanized school choice advocates, such as the Palmetto Promise Institute, which raised $2.5 million for students who lost grants last year and campaigned to raise awareness about the updated program.

Of the more than 17,000 applications received, priority was given to participants in last year’s program as well as to military families. The new program’s income cap for families is 300% of the federal poverty level, meaning a family of four earning up to $96,450 can qualify. Also, non-kindergarten students no longer have to be transferring out of public schools.

Nearly 5,000 applications remain under review, according to a state Department of Education spokesperson, and will be placed on a waitlist if approved. About 2,800 applications have been denied.

South Carolina’s program is set to expand to 15,000 students in the 2026-27 school year, with an income cap of 500% of the poverty level, or $160,750 for a family of four. The state also eliminated the application deadline, which had been a key reason applicants were rejected under the previous program.

Opponents are still expected to challenge the program in court, the South Carolina Daily Gazette reports, but lawmakers carefully crafted the legislation to allow flexibility if the court finds the program constitutes the use of state funds for private or religious education.

Education savings accounts – where parents direct money from the state to the school or educational provider of their choice – have overcome multiple court challenges. The legislation calls for the state to appoint a trustee to appropriate the funds to families’ accounts, adding another layer between the state and any private schools chosen by families.

The legislation also allows families to use school choice funds to facilitate attendance at public schools outside their local zone, and to pay for tutoring, textbooks and computers.

“These robust application numbers show how excited South Carolina parents are to have opportunity and choice in their children’s education,” Felicity Ropp of Palmetto Promise told the Daily Gazette.