Homeschooling in South Carolina: the law and how to start

Yes. South Carolina law gives you three ways to homeschool, and you choose one:

• Option 1 (S.C. Code § 59-65-40): Your local school district board of trustees approves your home school. You submit a description of your program, the materials you will use, how you will evaluate progress and where instruction will take place. This option has the most oversight.
• Option 2 (§ 59-65-45): You become a member of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS) and follow its requirements.
• Option 3 (§ 59-65-47): You join a homeschool accountability association with at least 50 members. The association must require a 180-day year and core subjects, and keeps track of members. The Department of Education lists Option 3 associations that have filed the Annual Standards Assurance form, updated for 2026–27.

The Department of Education does not accredit or endorse any association. Many families choose Option 3 because it involves less paperwork than district approval.

• Choose your option. Compare the requirements of Options 1, 2 and 3 and, for Options 2 and 3, the fees and rules of the associations you are considering.
• Option 1: Apply to your district board of trustees and wait for approval before you start.
• Options 2 and 3: Join the association. Membership is what makes your homeschool legal under these options.
• Withdrawing from school. Give your child's school written documentation that they are being homeschooled, such as your district approval or a letter from your association confirming membership. The Department of Education has advised districts on what documentation to accept as evidence that a student has transferred to a home school.
• Keep your membership current each school year for Options 2 and 3.

All three options require an instructional year of at least 180 days and a curriculum covering the core subjects named in the statute, including reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Option 1 and Option 3 also call for composition and literature in the upper grades.

Beyond those basics, you choose your own curriculum and teaching approach. Option 1 families describe their materials in the application they send the district.

Option 1 students participate in the annual statewide testing program for their grade level, and families keep records the district can review.

Option 3 families keep records set by the statute, such as a plan book or diary of subjects taught, a portfolio of samples of your child's work, and a semiannual progress report including attendance. Your association may ask to see them.

Option 2 families follow SCAIHS's own requirements.

Whichever option you use, keep your records organized and hold on to them. They are your evidence of compliance and help if your child re-enters school.

The Department of Education notes that students homeschooled through an association do not receive a state-issued high school diploma. Parents or the association issue the diploma and transcript instead.

Keep a detailed transcript from Grade 9 onward, and check what the colleges your teen is interested in expect from homeschooled applicants.

Under § 59-63-100, homeschooled students can take part in interscholastic activities at the public school whose attendance zone they live in. The student must notify the district superintendent in writing before the season, meet the same standards as other team members, and generally have been homeschooled for a full academic year before participating.

Bill 3802 in the 2025–2026 legislative session proposed extending this to cocurricular activities and career and technical education. We did not confirm that it had passed by October 2026, so check with your district.

For a child with a disability, contact your district's special education office about evaluation and available services.

South Carolina's Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) pays for approved education expenses for eligible students, but it is not available to families homeschooling under Options 1, 2 or 3. The program's guidance explains that participating students cannot be enrolled in a homeschool option at the same time.

Places for 2026–27 are limited and eligibility depends on family income. If you are considering the program, read the Department of Education's ESTF FAQ for current rules before making any changes to your homeschool arrangement.

Option 3 accountability associations, local co-ops and support groups are spread across South Carolina, and many libraries offer homeschool programs.

The Department of Education's Home Schooling pages list the Option 2 and Option 3 associations and link to the relevant sections of the state code.