SOUTH CAROLINA
Homeschooling in South Carolina: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
Three codified routes, and most families take the third: membership of an accountability association, which brings no state testing and no state registration. The state's accounts exclude all three.
Homeschooling in South Carolina, Summarized
The Six Things South Carolina Asks of You
Legal in South Carolina
Yes
three codified routes
Compulsory ages
5 to 17
Do I notify anyone?
Through your route
district, or an association
Paperwork load
Low to Medium
a report twice a year
Parent qualification
High-school diploma or GED — more on the district route
higher on the district route
Standardized testing
Only on the district route
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in South Carolina
What You Need to Know
Three routes are written into the code and they differ sharply. Approval by your district board brings statewide testing, and reportedly a basic-skills exam for the parent — confirm that with the Department. Association membership brings neither. Most families take the third route.
What South Carolina Asks of You
Three routes — and most families take the third.
Must do
Apply to your local district board of trustees and obtain approval before instruction
Hold a high-school diploma or GED, or a bachelor's degree, and pass the basic-skills exam
Take part in the statewide testing program and the basic-skills assessment
Submit a semiannual progress report with attendance records
Dates that matter
Before the first day of instruction
Mid-year and end-of-year for the progress reports, on district-set dates
The trade-off
Statewide testing and a parent exam that the other two routes do not require
This is the most demanding of the three routes, and the least used.
Must do
Enroll as a bona fide member and keep to its standards
Hold at least a high-school diploma or GED
Dates that matter
Before beginning instruction; the association reports enrollment by January 30
Good practice — not required
The association's standards are reviewed annually by the Department, so they are a known quantity
The association handles reporting to the state on your behalf.
Other routes
South Carolina wants a progress report twice a year, whichever route you take. StudyPug builds it while your child works.
Funding for South Carolina Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
South Carolina runs an education scholarship account — but not for homeschooling families.
The trust fund's criteria state that a student cannot take part while homeschooling under Option 1, Option 2 or Option 3. Those are the only three homeschool routes in the state, so no version of homeschooling here also draws this money.
To your family
$0 while you homeschool
To apply for
Nothing on Options 1, 2 or 3
Who it is for
Students outside the homeschool options
What StudyPug Handles for You
Not templates you fill in — records that fill themselves in.
Work-samples portfolio that assembles itself
Hours & attendance log that fills itself in
Progress reports you can download and share
Scope & Sequence export to seed your semiannual progress report
One-click package for your association's mid-year and end-of-year review
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in South Carolina
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in South Carolina?
Yes, by three routes written into the code. Approval by your local district board is the first; membership of the statewide association is the second; and membership of any approved association with at least fifty members is the third, which is what most families use.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
Not a certificate, but every route sets a floor. The association routes require at least a high-school diploma or GED. The district route asks for that or a bachelor's degree, plus a passing score on a basic-skills exam — one reason so few families take it.
Does South Carolina fund homeschooling?
No. South Carolina's education scholarship trust fund pays $7,634 per student for 2026-27, but its eligibility criteria state that a student cannot take part while homeschooling under Option 1, Option 2 or Option 3. Those are the only three homeschool routes in the state.
Which of the three routes should I choose?
Most families take the third, and the reasons are concrete: no state-mandated standardised testing, no state registration, and an association that handles reporting. The district route brings statewide testing and a parent exam; the statewide association sits between the two.
What is the semiannual progress report?
A report twice a year — mid-year and end-of-year — including attendance records and individualised documentation of academic progress. Under the district route it goes to the district; under the association routes, to your association.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Records are held by you as the parent-teacher and produced on review: to the district on reasonable notice under the first route, or to your association under the other two. Associations typically ask to see them on their own schedule.
What about high-school transcripts?
No statute requires a particular transcript, which surprises families planning for college. In practice the associations and the statewide body provide them, so ask yours what it offers before your child reaches the later grades.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
South Carolina Home School Options
→The three routes, set out by the Department.
ed.sc.gov — Home Schooling
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 65
→The statute behind all three routes.
scstatehouse.gov — Title 59 Ch. 65
Option Three Associations 2026-27
→The current list of associations that have filed the assurance.
ed.sc.gov — Option 3 list (PDF)
Other States:
Homeschooling in South Dakota·Homeschooling in Tennessee·Homeschooling in Texas— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
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StudyPug is a records tool, not legal advice. Homeschool rules, funding amounts, and deadlines change at least yearly — always confirm with the official sources above before you act. Requirements can also differ at the school-board or district level, so check with your local board or district too. We review every jurisdiction page and show you the date we last checked it; each requirement in your dashboard carries its own source and last-verified date.
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