Children of active duty Armed Forces members stationed in South Carolina have a brand new, amazing opportunity.
A new state law signed at the beginning of May 2025 gives military families priority application status for $7,600+ scholarships that can be used for K-12 education expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, disability therapies, school supplies, curriculum, online classes, and so much more. Your child is no longer limited only to the school that your housing or military base is zoned for!
From January 15, 2026, at 8am, until 8am on February 6, 2026, military families a priority window to get their applications submitted for this program, the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF).
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to customize your child’s education.
WHAT YOU NEED TO APPLY:
- Proof of Guardianship
- Legal documents may include foster paperwork, adoption papers, divorce agreements, dependents claimed on 2024 or 2025 tax returns, or a birth certificate.
- Proof of income
- 2024 or 2025 tax return
- Documentation of housing stipends and other nontaxable income are not needed unless your household does not file taxes
- Proof of South Carolina residency
- Driver’s License or State Issued ID with a SC address, utility bills, government-issued mail (TANF, SNAP, voter registration cards, tax assessments, etc), mortgage statements, or lease (at least 6 months). Military orders stationing you in SC are also great, even if you are not yet living in SC but will be before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
- Military Orders or other documentation of current military service
- In order to apply during the early priority window, you’ll need documentation that the child’s parent or guardian is an active member of the United States Armed Forces.
TO BE ELIGIBLE, A STUDENT MUST…
✅ Be in kindergarten through 12th grade and not exceed 22 years of age
✅ Have a household income within 500% of the federal poverty line
✅ Be a South Carolina resident or the child of an Armed Forces Member stationed in South Carolina
