Providing strategic ESA implementation support in South Carolina
Advising families after Supreme Court ruling changes eligible expenses for in state’s first-ever ESA program
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Act (ESTF) in May 2023, signaling increased educational options for families. Thousands of South Carolina families successfully enrolled in the program.
“As a single mom the ESTF means a lot to me. I wasn’t able to afford tuition for my children and ESTF has made it possible for them to have access to a better education...I have seen a huge change in their confidence level and attitudes since enrolling in a new school.”
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) partnered with Outschool.org beginning on July 1, 2024 to provide a comprehensive range of programmatic and technical assistance services to fill critical resource gaps, empowering the SCDE to effectively reach families and build out its first-ever sustainable, impactful ESA program.
However, on September 11, 2024, the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down a portion of the ESTF, ruling the state’s constitution prohibits the use of public funds for private schools.
Outschool.org worked alongside the SCDE to mitigate this challenge and respond quickly to concerned families. Outschool.org assured families who otherwise would have un-enrolled from the program that tuition would be covered by outside philanthropy fundraised and managed by a private organization, Palmetto Promise.
“Thank you for taking the time to navigate through this and advocate for those parents/students affected by the ruling. Your dedication and passion shows through this support. As a mother who is single this is a huge impact on my household and I am so grateful for. This program is truly a blessing in many ways than one. Again, thank you! I look forward to the next instructions.”
Now, Outschool.org continues to provide technical assistance to SCDE to support the implementation and growth of the ESTF program. Outschool.org regularly responds to current families’ questions about qualified expenses for their remaining ESTF scholarships, and we are working alongside the SCDE and Class Wallet to begin recruitment and awareness efforts for scaling the program to 10,000 families in the 2025-2026 school year.
Outschool.org’s Scope of Services with SCDE
Family Advising & Information
One-on-one family coaching, family-facing resources, and vendor recommendations so parents can choose the options best tailored to their children’s learning needs and fully utilize their scholarship dollars.
Program Design & Improvement
Expert technical assistance and advising in ESA program design, policy, rules guidance, and leverage analytics to drive program improvements and ensure long-term success.
Recruitment & Awareness
Customized outreach campaigns, including emails, SMS, social media, digital ads, and live online events, to drive awareness and enrollment of eligible learners as the program expands to 10,000 students.
“Outbridge has been phenomenal in increasing the likelihood our scholarship recipients in our program truly benefit from the opportunity. The team is excellent at customizing the supports they provide to improve the success of our work. The Outschool.org team has found a way to use data and information in a manner that balances the use of high-end technology with low-tech personalized measures that build trust and rapport with participants who are less likely to draw down the services they qualify for. Outbridge’s family navigation approach truly meets scholarship recipients where they are and collaboratively moves families forward to successful outcomes.”
- Meka Childs, Director of the South Carolina Office of School Choice and Family Engagement at the South Carolina Department of Education.
1,000
Questions Answered
Outschool.org quickly responds to families’ inbound questions via email and our website.
700
Minutes of 1:1 Phone Calls
Families call our hotline at anytime for personal support.
92%
Outschool.org has successfully engaged with 2,670 of the families enrolled in the ESTF program.