How to Start Homeschooling in South Carolina

Absolutely. Homeschooling is legal in South Carolina under three separate statutes. Each one creates its own pathway:

• Option 1 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-40. You apply to your local school board for approval.
• Option 2 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-45. You enroll with the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS), a state-designated accountability organization.
• Option 3 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-47. You join a homeschool association with at least 50 members.

All three pathways require you to hold a high school diploma or GED. No teaching certification is needed. You do not need a college degree. The differences come down to who oversees your program, how much paperwork you file, and where your test results go.

South Carolina requires education starting at age 5 and continuing through age 17. This comes from S.C. Code Section 59-65-10. South Carolina is one of the states that mandates kindergarten, so your child must begin at age 5.

The obligation ends when your child turns 17 — on the birthday itself, not at the end of the school year. If your child has not yet turned 5 or has already turned 17, these requirements do not apply.

Starting to homeschool in South Carolina is straightforward once you know the steps. Here is exactly what to do:

Step 1: Pick your pathway. This is your biggest decision, and there is no wrong answer. Most South Carolina families go with Option 3 because it has the lightest paperwork and the most curriculum freedom. If you want built-in support and organized testing, Option 2 through SCAIHS is a strong middle ground. Option 1 is rarely chosen because it requires school board approval and semiannual reports — but it works for families who want a close relationship with their district.

Step 2: Join your chosen oversight body. Do this before you withdraw your child from school. Here is what each option looks like:

• Option 1: Call your local school district office and ask for the homeschool application. Fill it out with your proposed curriculum, your instructional plan, and a copy of your diploma or GED. Submit it and wait for written approval before you start teaching.
• Option 2: Go to scaihs.org and click "Enroll." Pay the annual membership fee. SCAIHS handles your state notification — you do not need to contact anyone else. Keep your enrollment confirmation.
• Option 3: Search for qualifying associations in your area. Before you join, ask this question: "Does your association have at least 50 members?" If yes, sign up and pay the membership fee. If no, keep looking — an association below 50 members does not satisfy S.C. Code Section 59-65-47.

Step 3: Withdraw your child (if currently in school). Send a written letter to the school principal or front office. Include these four things: (1) your name and contact information, (2) your child's name and date of birth, (3) the date of withdrawal, and (4) this sentence: "My child is being withdrawn to be homeschooled under S.C. Code Section [your option's statute number]." Send it by email with read receipt or certified mail so you have proof. Never withdraw before your pathway is in place — that gap can trigger truancy questions.

Step 4: Start teaching. Cover the required subjects. Keep an attendance log from day one. Teach 180 days at 4.5 hours per day. You are now a South Carolina homeschooler.

Your paperwork depends on your pathway. Here is the exact breakdown:

Option 1 (School Board): The most paperwork. Submit your curriculum and qualifications for approval. File semiannual progress reports with the school district. Send annual standardized test results to the school board. The board conducts an annual review of your program. Missing a report can lead to revocation of approval.

Option 2 (SCAIHS): Moderate paperwork. Enroll annually with SCAIHS and submit your test results to them. SCAIHS reports aggregate enrollment data to the state on your behalf. No progress reports to the school district.

Option 3 (Association): The least paperwork. Maintain annual membership with your association. Administer an annual standardized test. Your results stay with you and your association — nothing goes to the school district. Your association keeps a record of enrolled families and makes it available to the Department of Education if requested, per S.C. Code Section 59-65-47(C).

All three pathways require the same five core subjects: reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Option 1 adds two more: composition and literature. For grades 7 through 12, it also requires at least one elective from this list: a foreign language, visual arts, or performing arts. This comes from S.C. Code Section 59-65-40(A).

Options 2 and 3 stick to the five core subjects. No elective requirement exists in those statutes. Your association may suggest additional subjects, but the law does not require them.

You choose your own curriculum under all three options. There is no state-approved list. No one reviews or approves your materials under Options 2 and 3. Pick what works for your child.

Every pathway has the same rule under S.C. Code Section 59-65-47(A): at least 180 days per year, at least 4.5 hours per day. That adds up to at least 810 hours per year. You must track attendance under all three options.

South Carolina does not dictate your calendar or daily schedule beyond the 4.5-hour minimum. Year-round schooling, traditional September-to-June, four-day weeks — whatever fits your family. Just make sure you log the days and hours as you go.

All three pathways require an annual standardized test. No pathway requires a minimum score. Your child just needs to take the test. Here is how each option handles it:

Option 1: Your child takes the statewide test or a nationally standardized test approved by the school board. Results go to the school district. The board reviews them and may suggest remediation, but there is no pass/fail threshold in the statute per S.C. Code Section 59-65-40(A).

Option 2: SCAIHS administers or arranges the test for you. Results go to SCAIHS. No minimum score. This is convenient if you do not want to handle test ordering and proctoring yourself.

Option 3: You pick and administer a nationally standardized test. The CAT, Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test, and Terra Nova all qualify. Order the test through your association or a testing service, administer it at home or at a group testing site, and keep the results. Nothing goes to the school district. This is the least monitored testing arrangement per S.C. Code Section 59-65-47(B).

South Carolina is one of the few states offering three distinct legal pathways. That is a real advantage — you can match the oversight level to your comfort zone. Here is the side-by-side comparison:

Feature	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Oversight body	School board	SCAIHS	Association (50+ members)
Approval needed?	Yes	Enrollment	Membership
Semiannual reports?	Yes	No	No
Test results go to	School district	SCAIHS	You/Association
Annual board review?	Yes	No	No
Elective required (grades 7-12)?	Yes	No	No

You can switch between options from year to year. When you switch, properly close out your current pathway and enroll in the new one. Keep all records and test results regardless of which option you use.

Your child can play public school sports. South Carolina passed the Equal Access Act — the Tim Tebow law — in 2012. Your homeschooled child can try out for interscholastic sports at your local public school. To be eligible: have your homeschool oversight body verify academic eligibility, live in the school's attendance zone, and meet the same behavioral and physical standards as enrolled students. Contact your school's athletic director to ask about tryout dates. This law covers sports specifically — it does not guarantee access to academic courses.

Dual enrollment is available. Homeschool students can take college classes at South Carolina's technical colleges and state universities. Your child generally needs to be at least 16 or in the equivalent of 11th grade. Call the admissions office of your nearest technical college and ask about their homeschool dual enrollment process.

You issue the diploma. Under all three pathways, you create and award your child's high school diploma. There is no state-certified homeschool diploma in South Carolina. SCAIHS and some Option 3 associations also issue diplomas in their organization's name if you want that. South Carolina colleges accept homeschool applicants.

The ESTF is new — and it comes with a real trade-off. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund provides $7,500 per student for 2025-2026. Income-restricted: households up to 300% of the federal poverty level (about $96,000 for a family of four) qualify for 2025-26, expanding to 500% FPL for 2026-27. Here is what most guides miss: ESTF creates a separate legal category called "educate from home." Accepting ESTF means you must leave Options 1, 2, and 3. You cannot be in a traditional homeschool pathway and use ESTF at the same time. New family applications run January 15 through March 15 at app.classwallet.com. Renewals run November 1 through January 14. ESTF requires annual testing for grades 3-11 and quarterly expense reporting.

Keep these records from day one. All three pathways require attendance records and immunization records. Start a simple spreadsheet or notebook on your first day. Under Option 1, you also need a planned curriculum, records of subjects and materials used, and semiannual progress reports. Under Options 2 and 3, keep a record of instruction (your plan for each student) and annual test results. Having clean records from the start saves headaches later.

Plan ahead if your child has special needs. When you withdraw from public school, your child generally loses IEP services. But you have options. Contact your district's Child Find office and request a screening — they are required to evaluate homeschooled students who may need services. Some services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling may be available through your district's equitable services program. The ESTF can also cover therapies from licensed providers. Some Option 3 associations specialize in supporting special needs families — ask about this when you are choosing your association.