Signed by Governor Henry McMaster

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur and pass a bill that establishes a state education scholarship trust fund to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina.

Highlights:

• Establishes a state education scholarship trust fund (ESTF) to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the state application deadline but maintains current law income eligibility rules for the next 2 school years (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends school voucher eligibility requirements to authorize vouchers for current private school students as well as public school students (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and the scholarship amount that students may receive eligible expenses (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the requirement that an eligible student must have attended a public school in this state during the previous school year as well as the household income requirement beginning with the 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from the current amount of $6,000 per eligible student to beginning in the 2027-2028 school year an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year 

• Increases the amount the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) may retain for administrative costs from 2 percent to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the 15,000-student cap beginning in school year 2027-28 and specifies that SCDE must submit an annual budget request based on the number of current scholarship recipients and previously unmet demand for scholarships as evidenced by the prior year's applications (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the program would then be limited only by the amount of funding appropriated beginning in 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires that SCDE to create a model interdistrict policy for student transfers and that the State Superintendent of Education appoint the Trustee of the ESTF to serve at will. 

• Requires that the Trustee make payments to the individual scholarship student's account on a quarterly basis and that SCDE establish reasonable fees for the Trustee (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires an education service provider that is not an accredited or licensed school to submit a completed background check to SCDE as part of their initial application (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and changes the scholarship amount that students may receive and eligible expenses and increases the amount that SCDE may deduct from the ESTF for administrative costs from 2 to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from $6,000 to an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires school districts to enact an interdistrict policy for student transfers that is consistent with the model policy developed by SCDE and to post the policy on the district website (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor and specifies that current eligible participants may continue receiving benefits under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) until the end of the 2024-2025 school year (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur and further amend a bill that establishes a state education scholarship trust fund to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina.

Highlights:

• Establishes a state education scholarship trust fund (ESTF) to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the state application deadline but maintains current law income eligibility rules for the next 2 school years (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends school voucher eligibility requirements to authorize vouchers for current private school students as well as public school students (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and the scholarship amount that students may receive eligible expenses (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the requirement that an eligible student must have attended a public school in this state during the previous school year as well as the household income requirement beginning with the 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from the current amount of $6,000 per eligible student to beginning in the 2027-2028 school year an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year 

• Increases the amount the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) may retain for administrative costs from 2 percent to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the 15,000-student cap beginning in school year 2027-28 and specifies that SCDE must submit an annual budget request based on the number of current scholarship recipients and previously unmet demand for scholarships as evidenced by the prior year's applications (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the program would then be limited only by the amount of funding appropriated beginning in 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires that SCDE to create a model interdistrict policy for student transfers and that the State Superintendent of Education appoint the Trustee of the ESTF to serve at will. 

• Requires that the Trustee make payments to the individual scholarship student's account on a quarterly basis and that SCDE establish reasonable fees for the Trustee (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires an education service provider that is not an accredited or licensed school to submit a completed background check to SCDE as part of their initial application (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and changes the scholarship amount that students may receive and eligible expenses and increases the amount that SCDE may deduct from the ESTF for administrative costs from 2 to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from $6,000 to an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires school districts to enact an interdistrict policy for student transfers that is consistent with the model policy developed by SCDE and to post the policy on the district website (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor and specifies that current eligible participants may continue receiving benefits under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) until the end of the 2024-2025 school year (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a state education scholarship trust fund to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina.

Highlights:

• Establishes a state education scholarship trust fund (ESTF) to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the state application deadline but maintains current law income eligibility rules for the next 2 school years (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends school voucher eligibility requirements to authorize vouchers for current private school students as well as public school students (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and the scholarship amount that students may receive eligible expenses (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the requirement that an eligible student must have attended a public school in this state during the previous school year as well as the household income requirement beginning with the 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from the current amount of $6,000 per eligible student to beginning in the 2027-2028 school year an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year 

• Increases the amount the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) may retain for administrative costs from 2 percent to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the 15,000-student cap beginning in school year 2027-28 and specifies that SCDE must submit an annual budget request based on the number of current scholarship recipients and previously unmet demand for scholarships as evidenced by the prior year's applications (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the program would then be limited only by the amount of funding appropriated beginning in 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires that SCDE to create a model interdistrict policy for student transfers and that the State Superintendent of Education appoint the Trustee of the ESTF to serve at will. 

• Requires that the Trustee make payments to the individual scholarship student's account on a quarterly basis and that SCDE establish reasonable fees for the Trustee (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires an education service provider that is not an accredited or licensed school to submit a completed background check to SCDE as part of their initial application (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and changes the scholarship amount that students may receive and eligible expenses and increases the amount that SCDE may deduct from the ESTF for administrative costs from 2 to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from $6,000 to an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires school districts to enact an interdistrict policy for student transfers that is consistent with the model policy developed by SCDE and to post the policy on the district website (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor and specifies that current eligible participants may continue receiving benefits under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) until the end of the 2024-2025 school year (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a state education scholarship trust fund to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina.

Highlights:

• Establishes a state education scholarship trust fund (ESTF) to authorize private school tuition payments in South Carolina (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the state application deadline but maintains current law income eligibility rules for the next 2 school years (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends school voucher eligibility requirements to authorize vouchers for current private school students as well as public school students (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and the scholarship amount that students may receive eligible expenses (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the requirement that an eligible student must have attended a public school in this state during the previous school year as well as the household income requirement beginning with the 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from the current amount of $6,000 per eligible student to beginning in the 2027-2028 school year an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year 

• Increases the amount the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) may retain for administrative costs from 2 percent to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Repeals the 15,000-student cap beginning in school year 2027-28 and specifies that SCDE must submit an annual budget request based on the number of current scholarship recipients and previously unmet demand for scholarships as evidenced by the prior year's applications (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the program would then be limited only by the amount of funding appropriated beginning in 2027-28 school year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires that SCDE to create a model interdistrict policy for student transfers and that the State Superintendent of Education appoint the Trustee of the ESTF to serve at will. 

• Requires that the Trustee make payments to the individual scholarship student's account on a quarterly basis and that SCDE establish reasonable fees for the Trustee (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires an education service provider that is not an accredited or licensed school to submit a completed background check to SCDE as part of their initial application (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the ESTF program to expand the students who may participate in the program and changes the scholarship amount that students may receive and eligible expenses and increases the amount that SCDE may deduct from the ESTF for administrative costs from 2 to 7 percent (Sec. 1-13).

• Amends the scholarship amount for eligible students from $6,000 to an amount that is equivalent to the allocation used in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the State Aid to Classrooms funding for the current fiscal year (Sec. 1-13).

• Requires school districts to enact an interdistrict policy for student transfers that is consistent with the model policy developed by SCDE and to post the policy on the district website (Sec. 1-13).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor and specifies that current eligible participants may continue receiving benefits under the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) until the end of the 2024-2025 school year (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text