South Carolina Public Charter Schools & Virtual Academies
South Carolina charter schools are tuition-free public schools operating under contract with an authorizer, called a sponsor. Some are brick-and-mortar campuses and some are full-time online academies, but both run under the same charter law. Program Type: Public charter schools, in person and full-time online Tuition: $0 – Completely FREE. A charter may not charge tuition, though a sponsor may allow charges comparable to the local district’s. No gift or donation may be required for admission. Authorization: South Carolina Charter Schools Act of 1996, Title 59, Chapter 40 Oversight: Four statewide authorizers act as the school district for the schools they sponsor: the South Carolina Public Charter School District (SCPCSD), the Charter Institute at Erskine, the Limestone Charter Association, and Voorhees University Charter Institute of Learning. Local districts may also sponsor charters. Who Can Attend: A charter school must admit all children eligible to attend public school, subject to space, with narrow exceptions for single-gender schools and alternative education campuses. It may not discriminate on the basis of disability or special education need. Statewide-authorized schools may enroll from anywhere in South Carolina; district-authorized schools only from that district. Admission Process:
- Apply directly to the school
- If applications exceed capacity, students must be accepted by lot, and there is no appeal
- Students enrolled the prior year get a required preference
- Schools may also give preference, outside the lottery, to siblings, to children of employees and charter committee members (capped at 20%), and to dependents of active-duty military in South Carolina (capped at 10%)
Virtual Academies: The Charter Institute at Erskine authorizes six statewide virtual schools enrolling students from every ZIP code in South Carolina: Cyber Academy of South Carolina, Heron Virtual Academy, Lowcountry Connections Academy, Odyssey Online Learning, South Carolina Connections Academy, and South Carolina Virtual Charter School.
- Free to attend, with grade ranges set by each school. SCVCS serves K-12, with kindergarteners 5 by September 1; Heron Virtual Academy serves grades 6-12
- Families supply the technology. SCVCS requires a computer or Chromebook (not tablets or phones), camera, microphone, and high-speed internet, and may offer a loaner Chromebook for a non-refundable processing fee. Ask each school what it requires
Application Timing: Set by each school. No statewide charter application window was identified, so check each school’s page. Transportation: The state is not responsible for transportation to a charter unless the district designates it as the only school selected within its attendance area. A charter may contract with a district for service. Program Scale: SCPCSD publishes 55 schools serving more than 30,000 students. The Charter Institute at Erskine sponsored 28 schools in 2025-26, reporting roughly 30,000 students, though a 2025 Legislative Audit Council review said more than 25,000. Important Note: Charter enrollment is public school enrollment, so it is not compatible with an Education Scholarship Trust Fund account. ESTF students may still buy unbundled services. Finding a School: