A South Carolina Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in South Carolina.

A clear, practical guide for families ready to bring learning home - written for the way South Carolina actually does it. Three legal options. One association letter instead of a government filing. 180 days and five core subjects. Everything you need to begin with confidence, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from weighing it to a settled first semester.

№ 01
01

Choose among South Carolina's three options.

South Carolina gives you three lawful routes: approval by your district's board of trustees (§ 59-65-40), membership in SCAIHS (§ 59-65-45), or membership in a homeschool association of fifty or more families (§ 59-65-47). The third option is the overwhelming favorite - low cost, no testing, no district involvement - but all three share the same teaching baseline.

What every option requires
  • Parent with a high school diploma or GED
  • At least 180 days of instruction per year
  • Reading, writing, math, science, social studies
  • Composition & literature in grades 7-12
02

Join your association - that letter is your legal status.

Under Option 3, pick an association from the SCDE's annually published list (each has certified its standards meet S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-47), apply, and pay the typically modest membership fee. There is no Notice of Intent in South Carolina - your membership confirmation is the document that makes you legal, so file it somewhere you can always find it. SCAIHS enrollment works the same way under Option 2.

Choosing well
  • Use SCDE's current Option 3 association list
  • Compare fees, records support & high school services
  • Confirm what the association asks of members annually
  • Keep the membership letter with your permanent records
03

Withdraw from school, naming your option.

Once membership or approval is in hand, withdraw your child with a short, dated letter to the school stating that the child will be homeschooled under your chosen section - most commonly § 59-65-47 - and naming your association. Mid-year switches are fully legal. Keep a copy; a clean paper trail ends most questions before they start.

Your withdrawal letter
  • Child's name and current grade
  • Effective date of withdrawal
  • The statute section you're operating under
  • Your association's name (or SCAIHS / district approval)
04

Teach the core, 180 days, and keep the statutory records.

Plan at least 180 days covering reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies - adding composition and literature for grades 7-12. The statute also names your records: a plan book or diary of subjects and activities, a portfolio of work samples, and semiannual progress reports with attendance and subject-by-subject assessments. Under Option 3 these stay with you, on your association's terms.

Keep on file
  • Plan book or diary of subjects & activities
  • Portfolio of academic work samples
  • Semiannual progress reports + attendance
  • Association membership confirmation, current
05

Settle the rhythm - and plan high school early.

After the first semester, the system runs itself: renew membership annually, keep the plan book current, write the two progress reports. If high school is near, decide early who issues the diploma and transcript - you or your association - and whether your teen wants public-school sports, which South Carolina's Equal Access law opens after a full year of homeschooling.

Down the road
  • Annual membership renewal on your calendar
  • Transcript started by ninth grade
  • Equal Access: notify the superintendent before the season
  • Many associations offer diploma & graduation services
The Law · South Carolina

Three doors into the same house - pick yours honestly

№ 02

Home instruction is expressly legal in South Carolina under three parallel statutes: S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-40 (district board approval), § 59-65-45 (SCAIHS), and § 59-65-47 (associations of fifty or more members). All three share one teaching baseline - a parent with a diploma or GED, 180 days, and the core subjects - and differ almost entirely in who provides the accountability: the district, SCAIHS, or your chosen association.

Option 01

Third-Option Association

Best for most families - the route the great majority of South Carolina homeschoolers use: join an association of 50+ members and keep your records at home.

  • Join an SCDE-listed association of 50+ member families
  • No district involvement, no standardized testing
  • Teach the core subjects at least 180 days/year
  • Keep plan book, portfolio & semiannual progress reports
  • Governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-47
Option 02

SCAIHS Membership

Best for families who want fuller-service oversight - records review, transcripts, diplomas, and counseling - and don't mind higher fees for it.

  • Enroll with the SC Association of Independent Home Schools
  • SCAIHS reviews records and supports high school credentialing
  • Same baseline: diploma/GED parent, 180 days, core subjects
  • Annual fees higher than typical Option 3 associations
  • Governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-45
Option 03

District Board Approval

Best for almost no one today, candidly - the original 1988 route, kept on the books, with the most oversight and the most paperwork.

  • Apply to your district's board of trustees for approval
  • 180 days at 4.5+ hours/day, excluding lunch & recess
  • Semiannual progress reports filed with the district
  • Annual statewide testing & Basic Skills Assessment
  • Governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-40
Requirements · Curriculum

Five core subjects - plus two for the upper grades.

№ 03

South Carolina's subject list is identical under all three options: five core areas every year, with composition and literature joining in grades 7 through 12. The state prescribes no curriculum, no textbooks, and no methods - the list below is the whole of it.

01

Reading

Phonics, fluency, comprehension, literacy across genres and grade levels.

02

Writing

Handwriting through composition, grammar, and mechanics.

03

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied math reasoning.

04

Science

Inquiry, observation, life sciences, physical sciences, earth & space.

05

Social Studies

History, geography, civics, and how communities and government work.

06

Composition + Literature

Added in grades 7-12: sustained writing and reading of substantial works.

3
Legal options

District approval, SCAIHS, or a third-option association - the same teaching baseline, three different overseers.

180
Days of instruction

Required each year under every option; only Option 1 adds a daily-hours rule (4.5 hours minimum).

50
Member minimum

A third-option association must have at least fifty member families and certify its standards to the SCDE annually.

2
Progress reports / year

Semiannual progress reports with attendance and subject-by-subject assessments - kept at home under Option 3.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Real questions from Palmetto State parents, answered plainly

№ 04
No degree - but yes to one qualification: under all three options the teaching parent must hold at least a high school diploma or GED (Option 1 also accepts a bachelor's degree). That's the entire personnel requirement; no teaching certificate, no coursework, no background check.
For most families, Option 3 - a § 59-65-47 association - and it isn't close: modest fees, no testing, no district contact, records kept at home. Choose SCAIHS (Option 2) if you want hands-on records review, transcripts, and diploma services from a full-service organization. Option 1, district board approval, survives in the statute but adds testing, district reporting, and a daily-hours rule that the other options simply don't have.
Yes. Secure your legal status first - join your association or enroll with SCAIHS - then send the school a dated withdrawal letter naming the statute section and your association. Many associations accept members year-round precisely for mid-year switches. The 180-day requirement applies to the school year as a whole, so document the days you teach from your start date forward.
No - not under Options 2 and 3, which is precisely why they exist. Your accountability runs to SCAIHS or your association, each of which certifies annually to the SCDE that its standards meet the statute. The SCDE itself says it does not monitor home schooling. Only families who choose Option 1 deal with the district: board approval, semiannual reports, and statewide testing.
The statute names three: a plan book or diary of subjects taught and activities, a portfolio of the student's academic work samples, and semiannual progress reports including attendance and individualized assessments in each basic instructional area. Under Option 3 these stay with you, maintained to your association's standards; under Option 1 the progress reports go to the district. Add a transcript by ninth grade regardless - colleges will ask for it.
Yes. The Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-100) bars districts from denying homeschoolers a spot in interscholastic activities - athletics, music, speech, and more - at the school whose attendance zone they live in. Two conditions: the student must have been homeschooled for a full academic year first, and you must notify the district superintendent in writing before the season begins. All other eligibility rules except attendance/enrollment still apply.
Yes. Parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript, and many third-option associations - and SCAIHS especially - offer diplomas, transcripts, and graduation ceremonies as member services. These credentials are routinely accepted by South Carolina colleges, technical schools, employers, and the military; what matters most is a clear, consistent transcript.
No. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund - reinstated by the legislature in 2025 after a court challenge, worth $7,500 in 2025-26 - requires full-time enrollment in an eligible public or independent school. Students homeschooled under any of the three options are excluded. The trade-off cuts the usual way: no funding, and in exchange no state strings on curriculum or testing. Check current legislation, as the program is young and evolving.
Resources · South Carolina

Where South Carolina families plug in

№ 05
Official - State

South Carolina Department of Education

SCDE's home schooling page - the statutes, the annually updated Option 3 association list, equal-access guidance, and FAQs.

Visit SCDE
Community - Statewide

South Carolina Home Educators Association (SCHEA)

The statewide homeschool network - legislative tracking, support groups, events, and plain-English guidance on choosing among the three options.

Visit SCHEA
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of all three South Carolina options, plus member legal help with withdrawal, records, and equal-access questions.

Read the Law
The South Carolina Getting Started Kit

Three options, zero guesswork.

The South Carolina Getting Started Kit turns §§ 59-65-40 through -47 into paperwork you can actually use - five polished, print-ready documents built for the association model, so your first year starts organized instead of overwhelming.

  • Withdrawal Letter + Option Worksheet - South Carolina has no Notice of Intent, so bullet one is the letter that matters: a dated school withdrawal naming S.C. Code Ann. § 59-65-47 and your association, with a one-page worksheet for choosing among the three options.
  • South Carolina Compliance Checklist - every statutory requirement as a checkable item: diploma/GED on file, 180 days, core subjects, and the semiannual progress-report dates.
  • Plan Book & Portfolio Log - the statute's own records (plan book, work-sample portfolio, attendance) in one ready-to-keep format.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around the five core subjects, with the grades 7-12 composition-and-literature track included.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day action plan from option choice through association membership to your first week of teaching.
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Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the South Carolina Department of Education and your homeschool association, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect South Carolina law as of 2026.

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