How to Homeschool in South Carolina (2026 Guide)

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At a Glance

Regulation Level Moderate
Notice Required Yes
Testing Required No
Record Keeping Required Yes

The short version

South Carolina gives families three legally distinct pathways to homeschool, and choosing the right one is the first decision you will make. Option 1 routes you through your local school district and comes with the most oversight, including board approval and annual statewide testing. Option 2 connects you to SCAIHS (the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools), a statewide organization that maintains your child’s records and requires standardized testing every other year starting in third grade. Option 3 — by far the most popular — lets you join any qualifying independent accountability association with at least 50 members, which means lighter administrative requirements and no state-mandated testing.

All three pathways share a common floor: instruction must cover five core subjects, the academic year must include at least 180 days, and the teaching parent must hold at minimum a high school diploma or GED. Beyond that, the differences between options are meaningful enough to review before you start.

South Carolina also administers the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF), a program that provides up to $7,634 per student for the 2026–27 school year — though its relationship to traditional homeschool pathways requires careful attention before you apply.

South Carolina’s three homeschool pathways are each codified separately in Title 59, Chapter 65 of the South Carolina Code of Laws:

  • Option 1 — School District: S.C. Code § 59-65-40
  • Option 2 — SCAIHS: S.C. Code § 59-65-45
  • Option 3 — Independent Association: S.C. Code § 59-65-47

South Carolina’s compulsory attendance law is § 59-65-10, which requires children who are age 5 by September 1 to attend a public school, private school, or an approved homeschool program through age 17 (or graduation). Parents may sign a written kindergarten waiver with their school district to delay enrollment if the child has not yet turned 6 by the first day of school.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) maintains the official homeschool page, conducts annual reviews of Option 2 and Option 3 associations to verify they meet statutory minimums, and publishes current lists of approved associations for both options. The SCDE does not supervise or approve individual family programs under Options 2 or 3.

Primary source: SCDE Home Schooling

Choosing your pathway

Before covering the requirements, it helps to understand what distinguishes each option in practice.

Option 1: School district oversight (§ 59-65-40)

Under Option 1, the local school district’s board of trustees must formally approve your homeschool program before you begin instruction. The district sets the application process, evaluates your submitted program description, and retains the authority to revoke approval if deficiencies are not corrected within 30 days.

Option 1 is the most administratively involved pathway and is chosen by a relatively small number of SC families. It is the only option that requires students to participate in the annual statewide testing program (e.g., SC READY) and the only option that requires tracking a minimum of 4.5 instructional hours per day. Progress reports are submitted directly to the district twice per year.

Option 2: SCAIHS (§ 59-65-45)

SCAIHS (South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools, pronounced “skays”) is the only association in South Carolina that operates under Option 2. Membership replaces the need for district approval and exempts families from § 59-65-40 requirements. SCAIHS maintains each student’s permanent academic record, issues official high school diplomas, and can provide official transcripts for college applications.

SCAIHS requires standardized testing every other year for students in grades 3 through 11 (recommended in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11). Members submit progress and attendance reports online three times per year, with the final report due in early June. Annual membership starts around $385. SCAIHS does not require a specific number of instructional hours per day.

SCAIHS contact: schomeschooling.com | 803-814-0353

Option 3: Independent association (§ 59-65-47)

Option 3 is the pathway used by the large majority of South Carolina homeschool families. You enroll as a member of any qualifying independent accountability association that has at least 50 members and has filed an Annual Standards Assurance form with the SCDE confirming it meets statutory minimums.

The association does not review your lesson plans or demand test scores. Twice per year you sign an assurance form confirming you are maintaining the required records. No statewide or standardized testing is required by state law under this option. Membership fees at most Option 3 associations run between $35 and $75 per year.

The SCDE publishes an updated list of qualifying Option 3 associations each school year at ed.sc.gov/districts-schools/state-accountability/home-schooling/.

Notice and enrollment requirements

Option 1: Submit an application to your local district board of trustees before beginning instruction. The district must establish an application process; parents are notified of the meeting at which their application will be considered and may speak at that meeting. Approval is required before you start.

Option 2: Enroll with SCAIHS before or at the start of your school year. There is no state filing — SCAIHS handles the required annual report to school districts (the association reports the number and grade levels of enrolled students to districts by January 30 each year, per § 59-65-45).

Option 3: Enroll with a qualifying Option 3 association before or at the start of your school year. As with Option 2, the association handles the required January 30 district report (§ 59-65-47). You do not file anything directly with the state or the district.

Compulsory age: South Carolina’s attendance law covers children who are age 5 by September 1 through age 17 or high school graduation. Parents of children who have not yet turned 6 may file a kindergarten waiver with the district to defer enrollment for one year.

Parent qualification: Under all three options, the teaching parent or guardian must hold at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent. A baccalaureate degree satisfies Option 1’s qualification requirement in lieu of the diploma plus basic skills test.

Required subjects

All three pathways require instruction in the same core subjects. Under §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45, and 59-65-47, the curriculum must include — but is not limited to:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social studies

For students in grades 7 through 12, reading and writing expand to include composition and literature.

South Carolina does not mandate a specific curriculum, textbook series, or instructional method under Options 2 or 3. Parents choose materials at their own expense and discretion.

Instructional days: The academic year must include at least 180 instructional days under all three options. Under Option 1 only, the statute also requires at least 4.5 instructional hours per day, excluding lunch and recess. Options 2 and 3 set no minimum daily hour requirement by state law.

Library access: Option 1 also requires that students have access to library facilities; this requirement is not separately stated for Options 2 and 3, though associations and families typically address this through local libraries or co-op resources.

Testing requirements

Testing requirements differ significantly by pathway:

Option 1: Students must participate in the annual statewide testing program and Basic Skills Assessment Program for their grade level (§ 59-65-40(A)(6)). Tests are administered by a certified district employee, either alongside public school students or by special arrangement at the student’s home (with the parent paying the cost of home administration). If a student scores below the public school promotion standard for one year, the district board decides on next steps, which may include public school enrollment, special services, or continued home instruction with an instructional support system.

Option 2 (SCAIHS): SCAIHS requires standardized testing every other year for students in grades 3 through 11. This is an association requirement, not a state mandate, but it is a condition of maintaining SCAIHS membership. The association recommends testing in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Test scores are retained by SCAIHS as part of each student’s permanent record.

Option 3: State law does not require standardized testing for Option 3 families. Individual associations may have their own policies, but no testing requirement appears in § 59-65-47. Families who want to track academic progress or prepare for college applications often choose to test voluntarily.

Record keeping

Records must be maintained by the parent under all three options, though the specific requirements and to whom records are accountable differ.

Under Option 1 (§ 59-65-40(A)(4)), records available for district inspection upon reasonable notice must include:

  • A plan book, diary, or other written record of subjects taught and activities completed
  • A portfolio of the student’s academic work samples
  • A record of evaluations of the student’s academic progress
  • A semiannual progress report with attendance records and individualized assessments, submitted directly to the school district

Under Option 2 (SCAIHS membership):

SCAIHS maintains permanent academic records for each enrolled student. Parents submit progress and attendance reports to SCAIHS online three times per year. SCAIHS retains transcripts and is the issuing authority for high school diplomas for its members. Parents should maintain their own copies of work samples and lesson records, though the association handles official documentation.

Under Option 3 (§ 59-65-47(d)), records maintained by the parent must include:

  • A plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent-teacher engaged
  • A portfolio of samples of the student’s academic work
  • A semiannual progress report with attendance records and individualized documentation of the student’s academic progress in each required subject area

These records are held by the parent, not submitted to the state or district. You confirm to your association twice per year (at 90 days and 180 days) that you are maintaining them. Records may be requested if a custody dispute, DSS inquiry, or public school re-enrollment arises.

High school transcripts: South Carolina’s major state scholarships — Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, and HOPE — require transcripts formatted using the SC Uniform Grading Policy (SC UGP). This system uses specific numerical grade values and a defined GPA weighting scale. Parents preparing high school transcripts should use the exact terminology (“SC UGP GPA”) and numerical format required by the SC Commission on Higher Education, as formatting errors can affect scholarship eligibility.

Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF)

The South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) is administered by the SCDE and provides scholarship funds through a digital wallet managed by ClassWallet.

Award amounts:

  • 2025–26 school year: $7,500 per student, paid in quarterly installments of $1,875
  • 2026–27 school year: $7,634 per student, paid in quarterly installments of approximately $1,908.50 beginning late July 2026

Eligible expenses include:

  • Tuition and fees at an approved independent school or nonpublic online provider
  • Curriculum (math, English/grammar/reading, science, social studies, foreign language, art, music)
  • Textbooks, student workbooks, and reading books
  • Instructional materials and educational technology
  • Tutoring services from approved providers
  • Educational therapies for students with disabilities (ABA, speech, physical, occupational, vision, dyslexia/dysgraphia therapies)
  • Transportation through an approved provider (up to $3,000 per year)
  • Individual classes, after-school tutoring, or extracurricular fees at a non-residential public school

Eligibility for the 2026–27 school year:

  • Student must be a South Carolina resident
  • Household income must not exceed 500% of the federal poverty guidelines
  • Student must be in grades K–12
  • Student must agree to enroll in a school other than the public school in their residential school district

Important note for homeschool families: If you are currently enrolled in an Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3 homeschool program, you are not eligible to participate in the ESTF at the same time (§ 59-8-115(i)). SC law’s three homeschool options satisfy compulsory attendance on their own terms. However, families who choose to educate at home through ESTF — purchasing curriculum and materials without enrolling in a traditional homeschool association — can do so, because accepting the ESTF award itself satisfies the compulsory attendance requirement under the scholarship’s enabling statute. Families in this situation are not operating under § 59-65-40, § 59-65-45, or § 59-65-47, and the requirements of those sections do not apply to them.

If you are considering ESTF, review the current Participant Guide at ESTFSC.com carefully before withdrawing from an existing homeschool association, as the two frameworks are mutually exclusive.

Application windows for 2026–27:

  • Window 1 (returning awardees and siblings): November 1 – January 14
  • Window 2 (priority groups — active-duty military, household income at or below 300% FPL, prior-year public school attendance, or returning awardee or sibling who missed Window 1): January 15 – February 8
  • Window 3 (all eligible SC households at or below 500% FPL): Opens February 9

Apply: ESTFSC.com

Withdrawing from public school

South Carolina does not prescribe a specific state-level withdrawal procedure for families leaving public school. The practical steps vary somewhat by pathway:

If choosing Option 1: Submit your district application before withdrawing your child from public school. Wait for board approval before beginning instruction.

If choosing Options 2 or 3: Enroll with your chosen association first. Once your membership is active, notify your child’s school in writing that you are withdrawing your child to homeschool. Keep a copy of any correspondence. The district has no supervisory authority over your home school program after withdrawal.

A few districts have their own administrative timelines for processing withdrawal — Greenville County, for instance, has been known to require proof of association enrollment within a short window after withdrawal. Contact your district directly if you have questions about its process.

Driver’s license: South Carolina law does not condition a student’s driver’s license eligibility on school enrollment in the same way some other states do. Homeschool students may obtain a South Carolina driver’s license through the standard process. If you need documentation of your child’s enrollment for DMV purposes, Options 2 and some Option 3 associations can provide membership letters.

Dual enrollment and community college: Homeschool students in South Carolina may access dual enrollment courses at technical colleges and four-year institutions. Requirements vary by institution; contact the admissions or dual enrollment office at the relevant school for current documentation requirements, which typically include a transcript or enrollment verification from your association.

Public school activities (equal access)

Under S.C. Code § 59-63-100, the Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act, homeschool students in South Carolina may not be denied the opportunity to participate in public school interscholastic activities — including athletics, music, speech, and other extracurricular activities — provided certain conditions are met:

  • The student has been homeschooling under § 59-65-40, § 59-65-45, or § 59-65-47 for a full academic year prior to participating
  • The student resides within the attendance boundaries of the school where they wish to participate
  • The student meets all district eligibility requirements (other than school attendance and enrollment requirements)
  • The student notifies the district superintendent in writing of the intent to participate before the start of the activity’s season

Each school and district has its own process. Starting early — well before the season you want to participate in — gives you time to complete any required forms and provide documentation of your homeschool enrollment.

Support and community

South Carolina has a range of organizations that can help at every stage of the homeschool journey:

  • SCAIHS (Option 2): schomeschooling.com — statewide association with counselors, permanent records, and an annual graduation ceremony
  • SC Homeschooling Connection — homeschoolingsc.org — a neutral resource hub listing Option 3 associations, co-ops, and legal information across the state
  • Christian Homeschoolers’ Association of South Carolina (CHASC) — chasc.net — a long-running Option 3 association based in the Lowcountry with statewide membership
  • Palmetto Independent Educators, SC TOP (Teaching Our Precious Ones), PACESC, and Carolina Homeschooler are among the larger independent Option 3 associations; the full current list is maintained by the SCDE

Local co-ops are active across most regions of the state, particularly in the Columbia, Greenville-Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston metro areas. Many co-ops organize group standardized testing sessions, which can be useful even for families who are not required to test.

For families of students with disabilities, SCAIHS maintains a Special Needs department with advisors who can assist with IEPs, 504 plans, and College Board accommodation applications.

Curriculum recommendations for South Carolina homeschoolers

Curriculum recommendations for South Carolina are coming soon.