What ESTF funds can pay for
South Carolina's Education Scholarship Trust Fund publishes an approved expenses list in its 2026-27 Participant Guide, with dollar limits on several items. The Department can reject invoices it considers unreasonable and can change the list.
If your service or product isn't on the list, families can't buy it with program funds, however good it is. Check before you apply.
Schools and courses1
- Tuition and fees at an approved independent school: enrollment, technology, class supply and book fees, and testing fees
- Approved nonpublic online schools and courses in math, English, science, social studies and foreign language
- Out-of-district fees, individual classes, after-school tutoring and extracurricular fees at a non-resident public school
Tutoring and therapies1
- Tutoring in math, English, science, social studies, foreign language, art and music
- ABA, speech, physical, occupational and vision therapy
- Dyslexia and dysgraphia therapies
Books and supplies1
- Textbooks in core subjects, foreign language, art and music
- Fiction and nonfiction reading books
- School supplies for the student's own use (art supplies up to $500 a year, calculators up to $200 a year)
Technology and other costs1
- A laptop or desktop and a tablet, up to $1,000 each, once every two years
- Printer and monitor up to $300 each, headphones up to $100 a year
- Standardized, AP, industry certification and college admission exams, and test prep
- Transportation by a fee-for-service provider, up to $3,000 a year
- Required school uniforms, up to $500 a year
Not eligible
Worth knowing
- Computers and other devices can't be bought until the student's first enrollment verification is complete, and school transportation fees must be on a separate invoice.1
South Carolina vendor guide
Who can apply, documents and payment.
Price caps by state
Technology, instruments and lesson limits compared.
Application checklist
The documents to gather for ESTF.
Sources
- 1. ESTF 2026-2027 Participant Guide, sc-estf-program.com, checked Oct 15, 2026