Where do I apply to be a ESTF vendor?

Start from the official South Carolina program page: https://ed.sc.gov/newsroom/strategic-engagement/education-scholarship-trust-fund-program/

How do ESTF providers get paid?

Families pay tutors, therapists and other providers through ClassWallet's Pay Vendor, and every Pay Vendor payment needs an invoice. Invoices must show your name and address, the student's name, the parent's name, the invoice date, the date of service, the type of service (tutoring subject, therapy type) and the total due. Handwritten invoices aren't accepted.

How to become an ESTF vendor in South Carolina

South Carolina's Education Scholarship Trust Fund, run by the South Carolina Department of Education with ClassWallet distributing the money. Providers apply to the Department year-round, then register with ClassWallet; families pay your invoices through Pay Vendor. There are no family reimbursements.

Official vendor registration Build a compliant invoice Build my document checklist

Checked against official sources on Oct 9, 2026

Run by

SC Dept. of Education, paid via ClassWallet

Payment after approval

Typically 2 to 10 business days1

2026-27 enrollment

Full at the 15,000-student cap2

Provider types

3 with their own documents

$7,500

per student for the 2025-26 school year, deposited in four quarterly installments of $1,875.3

Who can apply

Every provider serving ESTF students must apply to and be approved by the South Carolina Department of Education. The application is open year-round.4
After approval you must complete ClassWallet's registration before families can pay you. If you don't appear in ClassWallet, families can't send you money.4
Independent schools must be organized as nonprofits to be approved.4
Approved, registered providers are listed inside ClassWallet and on a public list.4

Documents by provider type

Tutors

A bachelor's degree at minimum. Tutoring is approved in math, English (grammar, reading, writing), science (including coding and engineering), social studies (including history) and foreign language.4
Individual providers who work on their own complete a background check; you'll get an email with the attestation and the background-check instructions.4

Educational therapists

A valid license in the therapy you provide. Approved therapies: ABA, speech, physical, occupational and vision therapy, and dyslexia and dysgraphia therapies. Initial evaluation fees and required therapy equipment used during the service are approved.4

Facilities and schools

Facilities attest that they run background checks on their staff, as part of the state-required attestation.4

How you get paid

1Families pay tutors, therapists and other providers through ClassWallet's Pay Vendor, and every Pay Vendor payment needs an invoice.5
2Invoices must show your name and address, the student's name, the parent's name, the invoice date, the date of service, the type of service (tutoring subject, therapy type) and the total due. Handwritten invoices aren't accepted.5
3You can bill before or after the service, on whatever cadence you choose (weekly, monthly, quarterly). List each student separately; the parent submits under each student's account.5
4Track deposits in ClassWallet's Payment Report: Queued, Initiated, Processing, then Settled. It exports to CSV.1

Build a compliant invoice

Price caps and purchase limits

Computers and tablets $1,500 each, one each every 2 years (no gaming computers). Monitors and printers $300 each every 2 years. Headsets $200 a year. Calculators $200 a year. Uniforms $500 a year. Transportation up to $3,000 a school year.6

What trips providers up

Food, field trip, fundraising, graduation and child care fees aren't approved, even when a school invoices them.6
All purchases and payments are reviewed for compliance with program guidelines before they're approved.1

Sources

1.ESTF Education Service Provider Guide (November 2025), SC Dept. of Education ESTF provider guide, p. 8, updated Nov 19, 2025
2.Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program, South Carolina Dept. of Education, updated Oct 9, 2026
3.ESTF Education Service Provider Guide (November 2025), SC Dept. of Education ESTF provider guide, p. 3, updated Nov 19, 2025
4.ESTF Education Service Provider Guide (November 2025), SC Dept. of Education ESTF provider guide, p. 4, updated Nov 19, 2025
5.ESTF Education Service Provider Guide (November 2025), SC Dept. of Education ESTF provider guide, p. 6, updated Nov 19, 2025
6.ESTF Education Service Provider Guide (November 2025), SC Dept. of Education ESTF provider guide, p. 5, updated Nov 19, 2025

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Photo: HaloMasterMind, CC BY-SA 3.0

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