Apply in your window
Each cycle opens November 1 for current participants and their siblings, followed by priority and general windows. Applications for 2026–27 are closed.
Coming soon to the South Carolina ESTF
Once at Home: coming soon to South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund
Teach your child to read with fully scripted, one-to-one lessons in just 15 minutes a day. Once is coming soon to South Carolina’s ESTF program. Get notified when South Carolina families can use ESTF funds for Once.
South Carolina ESTF status
Once is coming soon to the South Carolina ESTF.
$7,634 per student in 2026–27Curriculum is an approved use
Reading instruction for South Carolina families
A complete reading plan without another subject to prep
Once tells you what to teach, what to say, and what comes next. You lead one focused lesson a day while Once provides the sequence and support.
Scripted curriculum
200+ ready-to-go lessons remove lesson-planning guesswork.
15 minutes a day
Short sessions fit around the rest of your family’s learning schedule.
Instructional coaching
Get guidance from a dedicated coach when you need support.
A clear path to reading
From letter sounds to connected stories
Each stage builds on the one before it, so you always know what to teach next.
1. Learn letter sounds
Build the foundation with focused, explicit practice connecting letters and sounds.
2. Blend sounds into words
Help your child combine sounds from left to right to read their first words.
3. Read connected stories
Build accuracy and fluency through one ongoing narrative with recurring characters.
How the ESTF works
Apply, accept your award, then pay through ClassWallet
The South Carolina Department of Education runs the ESTF and contracts with ClassWallet to manage scholarship funds. Once is coming soon to the ESTF and will appear among approved providers when it becomes available.
Review the Department’s 2026–27 Participant Guide and ESTF FAQ.
Accept the affidavit
Approved students get a ClassWallet digital wallet. Once it’s funded, accept the ESTF affidavit to see your balance and use funds.
Pay approved providers
Pay approved providers with an invoice or shop the ClassWallet Marketplace. Once will appear among approved providers when it becomes available.
ESTF details for 2026–27
What South Carolina families should know
South Carolina’s ESTF is a state scholarship for K–12 students, limited by law to 15,000 students for 2026–27.
Age 5 by September 1
Students must be South Carolina residents who are at least 5 by September 1, with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines for 2026–27.
$7,634 per student
The 2026–27 award is paid in four quarterly deposits of $1,908.50. Returning students keep unused funds for the next year.
Learning at home is allowed
Families can teach at home with ESTF funds, but students can’t join an Option 1–3 homeschool association or enroll full time in their zoned public school.
Sources: South Carolina Department of Education ESTF program page, ESTF FAQ, 2026–27 Participant Guide, and S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 8. Program rules can change.
Questions from South Carolina families
ESTF and Once FAQs
What is the South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund?
The Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) is a state scholarship program administered by the South Carolina Department of Education. Qualifying families with a student in kindergarten through 12th grade can receive $7,634 per student for the 2026–27 school year to pay for approved education expenses. The Department contracts with ClassWallet to manage scholarship funds.
Is Once available through the South Carolina ESTF?
Once is coming soon to the South Carolina ESTF. Until then, ESTF funds can’t be used for Once at Home. Leave your details on this page and we’ll let you know when South Carolina families can use ESTF funds for Once.
Who is eligible for the ESTF in 2026–27?
Students must be South Carolina residents, be at least 5 years old on or before September 1 of the school year, and have a household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty guidelines for 2026–27. While in the program, students can’t be enrolled full time in their zoned public school. Students in the Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children program aren’t eligible.
Can families who teach at home use the ESTF?
Yes, with one important rule. Families enrolled in an Option 1, 2, or 3 homeschool association aren’t eligible. The Department explains that the signed ESTF agreement satisfies compulsory attendance on its own, and some families use the ESTF to educate at home with curriculum, tutoring, technology, and therapies.
How much is an ESTF scholarship for 2026–27?
The 2026–27 scholarship is $7,634 per student, deposited in four quarterly payments of $1,908.50 beginning in late July 2026. For returning participants, unused funds roll over to the next school year.
What can ESTF funds pay for?
Approved expenses include curriculum, textbooks, reading books, instructional materials, tutoring, and approved online courses in subjects including English and reading. Families pay approved providers through ClassWallet with an invoice or shop the ClassWallet Marketplace. There’s no reimbursement for out-of-pocket purchases.
When can I apply?
Applications for 2026–27 have closed because the program reached its statutory limit of 15,000 students. By law, each new cycle opens November 1 with an early window for current participants and their siblings, followed by a priority window and then a general window. Check the Department of Education’s ESTF page for 2027–28 dates.
How much does Once at Home cost?
Once at Home costs $49 per month and is free until your child reads their first three-letter word, with no credit card needed. You can start today while ESTF availability is pending.
Start reading today
Begin 15 focused minutes a day now
Once at Home is free until your child reads their first three-letter word, with no credit card needed.
Get notified
Hear when Once is available through the ESTF
Leave your name and email, and we’ll let you know when South Carolina families can use ESTF funds for Once at Home. You can also send us a question.