Will ESTFs Impose New Oversight Regulations?

The Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTFs) offers financial assistance for educational spending. This new opportunity comes with some mixed emotions amongst homeschool advocates, ranging from interest to curiosity to scepticism and even suspicion. You may be wondering “will ESTFs impose new oversight regulations” for homeschoolers?

The program has gotten a bumpy start. The initial year 2024-2025 required participants to be previously enrolled in a public school during 2023-2024 school year. Then, the program was challenged with Eidson v SC Department of Education and was shut down as unconstitutional. The program was reenstated for 2025-2026 school year, resolving the state constitutional issue. It also removed the prerequisite enrollment at public school.

Greg Hembree, the legislator who sponsored bill S62 which reinstated the program, is now raising questions about the loophole that allows for personalized education plans. He claims this was an unintended option that approximately 1,000-1,500 students are now utilizing. He’s proposed a bill S692 in an effort to “close the loophole.” Several news articles and opinion pieces have amplified the concerns.

ESTFs: Education Scholarship Trust Funds

This is a scholarship. Participants have to sign up for it. It is very much like signing up to play sports at the public school or applying for college scholarships. The rules apply only to those who are signed up (and approved) to participate. So, the notion that it’s going to affect all the rest of us who didn’t apply is a bit of a misguided alarm.

Please look at the program for yourself. Use your own discernment about what it is (and isn’t); what requirements it does have (and doesn’t have). CLICK HERE

Summary of the program requirements from Palmetto NavigatEd FAQs: 

 

There is a standardized testing requirement for it. But, it’s for data points to show the legislators that it’s worth spending the money on it. It’s not for individuals to be scrutinized about their child’s progress. They won’t even be kicked off the scholarship for it.

Side note: Some critics suggest test results should be a consideration, because the college scholarships do have individual GPA requirements for continuing eligibility. So, maybe they will adjust it at some point to determine the quality of the overall program. Nevertheless, it hasn’t happened so far in AZ which has been doing this scholarship program for a decade already.

Again, if they change the requirements, it’s about the scholarship participants.

What-ifs for All Homeschoolers

We’re worried about the what-ifs of what regulations might get added. Will ESTFs impose new oversight regulations for all homeschoolers? There’s a mental leap that we need to consider for any added regulations on the rest of us. First of all, they would have to codify it in our code of law.

We can’t get them to re-open the equal access law to remove the one-year prior clause. I cannot imagine they’re going to re-open the Option 3 code of law to change the regulations. The last time there was a hint of changing Option 3, homeschool advocates converged and squashed that notion. That’s how this blog began.

The legislative conversations about ESTFs are explicitly trying to preserve current homeschool laws, which is why it’s prohibiting participants from choosing any of the existing options.

I repeat, participants are expressly prohibited from utilizing Option 1, 2, 3. This has unintentionally created a category of nomads outside of the current homeschool laws. That is the problem we should be focused on. I have a solution that I recommend at the end of this article.

Free Step-by-Step Planning Guide to Get Started Homeschooling

But, WHAT-IF they did propose legislation changes to current homeschoolers? A few concerns I’ve heard include required standardized testing, restricting religious beliefs, imposing political perspectives, and imposing forced vaccines.

Please consider how that would be implemented. WHO is going to do the job of chasing down the test scores? WHO is going to oversee the course requirements? WHO is going to check your vaccination records?

Your current accountability agency? No. Is there another government agent assigned to do this? No. That’s a significant job to add on. Which would have to come with some funding to cover that.

Even in Option 1 where the school board/school officials are overseeing the requirements. It’s not a law the comes with any funding to cover the job description. When I utilized Option 1, our records check was handed off to an already overworked department chair. That’s considered “extra duties as assigned.”

We don’t even have a permanent contact person at the Department of Education anymore. When I first became an association director, there was a full-time contact person at the DOE. That job has been absorbed and downsized. The point of contact has changed frequently since then.

We’re imagining a bloated government that’s coming to impose more regulations on us. As if there’s some government agent who is poised to scrutinize your parenting and your educational choices. But much of this fear is fueled by misunderstandings and the perpetual myth of the “Big, Bad Wolf” coming to take your kids away. Let’s focus instead on what truly matters for families and children. We all just want the best for our children.

A Viable Path Forward

We’re missing the important point of the conversation when we’re still asking will ESTFs impose new oversight regulations for all homeschoolers. What if there was a viable “4th Option”? What if we helped parents have this choice?

We don’t have the same stigma attached to college scholarships. If we are ok accepting scholarship money for higher education, what’s the difference between accepting Palmetto/LIFE scholarships or ESTF/Educational Scholarship Trust Funds?

When we trace back the history of homeschooling in SC, Option 2 didn’t change the regulations of Option 1. When Option 3 came along, it didn’t affect Option 1 or 2. I believe that ESTF participants should have the opportunity to forge their own path–consider it a 4th Option.

My unpopular opinion is that it should be left open for the associations to decide if they want to take on ESTF participants. Same way that associations decide if they want to offer transcript assistance and comply with the scholarship/ranking policies at the Commission on Higher Education. Like if a store accepts EBT payments or not.

• The associations could decide if they will allow ESTF participants who pay out of pocket, or not.
• The associations could also decide if they want to accept ESTF funding as service providers or not.
• Individual members can choose an association that accepts ESTF participants, or not.

I know that’s unlikely to consider revising current homeschool law at this point. I again repeat, participants are expressly prohibited from utilizing Option 1, 2, 3. What happens to our friends and neighbors who cannot find a local alternative school though?

The legislators could codify a 4th Option law that provides a clear exception to compulsory attendance under code 59-65 where Option 1, 2, 3 are. The annual standards assurance form for those providers could be submitted to the DOE to be listed on the website as well as the Option 2 and Option 3 agencies.

I suggest a viable 4th Option. They’re pioneers forging a new path. They still have bumps that need to be smoothed out along the way. I don’t see why we’re would want to block the way for our friends and neighbors who do want this opportunity.

If you agree, please contact Senator Hembree and the Education Committee to let them know that this should be a viable path for personalized education plans. Some  example points to talk about:

• If you’re a homeschooler who wouldn’t take the money, but want it as a viable path for others. Maybe you know someone that would benefit from the program.
• If you’re interested in the scholarship, but don’t want to leave your association.
• If you’re applying for the scholarship. Tell why it would be helpful and how you see the path to success because of this possibility.
• If you’re interested in becoming a service provider (or already a service provider), tell about the services you offer for participants creating a personalized plan.

The bill has a long way to go by the end of the session in May 2026. But, it is an issue that needs to be resolved. So we can open the doors of opportunity for every child.

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