Answered from the official Education Scholarship Trust Fund sources linked in the South Carolina guide, then the questions every ESA family asks.
ESTF serves South Carolina K–12 students from households at or below 500% FPL who are not attending their zoned public school full-time. Exceptional SC separately serves students with documented exceptional needs.
ESTF provides $7,634 in four installments. Exceptional SC may provide up to $11,000 for participating-school costs, subject to donated funds.
ESTF reached its 15,000-student cap for 2026–27. Exceptional SC applications remain open through September 30, 2026.
South Carolina Department of Education / ClassWallet keeps the official list for Education Scholarship Trust Fund; start at SCDE: ESTF status. PencilGo's South Carolina vendor directory lists vendors that report serving the program, with how to pay each one.
Participating-school and online tuition; Curriculum, books, materials and tutoring; Disability therapies and technology; Uniforms and limited transportation. A student cannot receive ESTF and Exceptional SC funding in the same year. Older summaries may show rules changed by later legislation.
It depends on the state, but most programs cover private-school tuition, curriculum and textbooks, tutoring, testing, educational therapies, and school supplies, each with conditions. Every guide lists what its program covers and links the official rules.
Each program keeps its own list on the administrator's site, linked from every state guide. PencilGo's vendor directory groups vendors by state and shows how each one is paid; listings are vendor-reported until PencilGo checks the program's records.
In 17 of 18 programs, yes: curriculum, workbooks and printable worksheets are instructional materials, the category ESA programs cover most often, usually on condition that the purchase goes through the program's platform or an approved provider.
Through the program's platform: ClassWallet or Odyssey in most states, direct reimbursement in a few. The program reviews the purchase before the vendor is paid, so do not buy first and assume reimbursement.
In some states. Each guide shows PencilGo's current status for that program and, where a purchase is possible, the exact steps. Provider participation never approves every product, so confirm the plan in the program before buying.
Before using ESA funds. Provider approval or a marketplace listing does not approve every product or confirm that a funded purchase can be made. Check Education Scholarship Trust Fund's current rules and payment route before buying; a direct card purchase does not guarantee reimbursement. This hub is educational information, not legal, tax or eligibility advice. PencilGo is independent of state agencies.