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South Carolina: every school dollar
Where South Carolina's public school money comes from, where it goes, what Washington sends, and how the state spends its lottery money. Select any line for more.
- Public school money, 2023-24$14.3 billion
- Spent per student, day to day$15,060U.S.: $17,619
- Students738,31478 school systems
- Lottery money to education$607 millionFY2026
Where the money comes from
$14.3 billion in the 2023-24 school year. Select federal, state or local to see every line.
Federal $1.8 billion12.9%
Inside the federal total: $738 million of pandemic relief (ESSER and related funds), which ended in 2024.
State $6.1 billion42.5%
Local $6.4 billion44.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file
Where it goes
$13.5 billion spent. Select support services for every line.
Inside these totals: $6.0 billion in salaries and wages, $2.7 billion in employee benefits. Long-term debt at year end: $10.0 billion.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024. School year 2023-24. census.gov the data file
Spending per student over time
Not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 20. summary tables
What Washington committed
Department of Education money committed for use in South Carolina in fiscal year 2025: $1.4 billion. The programs below include money from Agriculture (school meals) and Health and Human Services (Head Start), and college aid (Pell).
Why this differs from the federal line above: that line is what South Carolina's schools received in the 2023-24 school year (Census). This one is what Washington committed in a later federal year, including college aid, which schools never receive.
| Program | What it is | South Carolina | Share of the national total |
|---|---|---|---|
| School lunch | National School Lunch Program (Department of Agriculture) | $581 million | 2.1% |
| Pell Grants | College grants to students with financial need | $513 million | 1.3% |
| Title I | Grants to schools with many students from low-income families | $279 million | 1.5% |
| Special education (IDEA) | Grants to states for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21 | $221 million | 1.6% |
| Head Start | Early childhood programs (Department of Health and Human Services) | $121 million | 1.0% |
| Title II, teachers | Supporting effective instruction: teacher and principal training | $36.5 million | 1.7% |
| Career and technical education | Perkins basic grants to states | $24.5 million | 1.7% |
| Title IV-A | Student support and academic enrichment grants | $20.7 million | 1.5% |
| After school (21st Century) | 21st Century Community Learning Centers | $19.3 million | 1.4% |
| College opportunity grants (SEOG) | Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants | $12.4 million | 1.4% |
| Federal Work-Study | Part-time jobs for college students with need | $12.3 million | 1.1% |
| English learners (Title III) | English language acquisition grants | $8.2 million | 0.9% |
| Special education, preschool | Preschool grants for children with disabilities, ages 3 to 5 | $7.9 million | 2.0% |
| Impact Aid | Payments to districts with federal land or military families | $1.6 million | 0.1% |
Source: USAspending.gov, U.S. Department of the Treasury. Federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), money committed (obligated) by state where it is used. usaspending.gov
How is South Carolina spending the education lottery money?
All net proceeds are deposited monthly with the State Treasurer in the Education Lottery Account, which the General Assembly appropriates only for educational purposes and programs. The lottery began in 2002.
What the law says
The promise: All net proceeds go to the Education Lottery Account for educational purposes and programs; the statute sets no fixed percentage of revenue for education.
"Appropriations from the Education Lottery Account must be for educational purposes and programs only as defined in Section 59-150-350(D). These appropriations must be used to supplement and not supplant existing funds used for education."
S.C. Code Ann. 59-150-350 scstatehouse.gov
- Tickets sold$2.5 billion p. 14
- Prizes 66%$1.6 billion p. 14
- Retailers 7%$175 million p. 14
- Running the lottery 1%$31.8 million p. 14
- To education 24%$607 million p. 8
- Other costs and reserves 1%$26.2 million tickets sold minus the rows above
Of every dollar of South Carolina lottery tickets sold in FY2026, 24 cents reached education.
What it paid for, FY2026
Payments made during the year. They include money earned in earlier years, so they do not add up to the year's total sent to education.
- Commission on Higher Education, LIFE Scholarships as provided in Chapter 149, Title 59$216 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, HOPE Scholarships as provided in Section 59-150-370$13.0 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, Palmetto Fellows Scholarships as provided in Section 59-104-20$61.0 million source
- Commission on Higher Education and State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, Tuition Assistance$53.0 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, Need Based Grants$80.0 million source
- Higher Education Tuition Grants Commission, Tuition Grants$20.0 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, SC National Guard College Assistance Program as provided in Section 59-111-75$6.2 million source
- State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarships$54.3 million source
- South Carolina State University$2.5 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, Nursing Initiative$10.0 million source
- Commission on Higher Education, PASCAL$1.5 million source
- State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, readySC$1.0 million source
- Department of Education, K-12 Education Scholarships$20.0 million source
- State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Pilot Program$700,000 source
Every school system in South Carolina
78 school systems reported to the Census Bureau for 2023-24. See each one's money in and money out.
The record
- School money: Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finances: Fiscal Year 2024, U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances. The district totals for South Carolina were added up and checked against the Census state table on seven totals. census.gov
- Federal money: Federal education spending, fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Money committed, by the state where it is used. usaspending.gov
- Lottery: South Carolina Education Lottery Commission Report on Financial Statements for the Years Ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, South Carolina Office of the State Auditor (Mauldin & Jenkins, under contract); posted by the South Carolina Education Lottery, 2026-09-15. sceducationlottery.com
- Lottery: S.C. Code Ann. Title 59, Chapter 150 (South Carolina Education Lottery Act), Section 59-150-350, South Carolina General Assembly. scstatehouse.gov
- Lottery: H. 4025, General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, Ratified Version, Part IB, Proviso 3.7 (school districts: FY 2025-26 Lottery Funding), South Carolina General Assembly. scstatehouse.gov
- Checked November 2, 2026. How we track it · Report an error
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Track Every Dollar
How is South Carolina spending the education lottery money?
- Public school money, 2023-24$14.3 billion
- Spent per student$15,060
- Lottery money to education, FY2026$607 million
- Of each lottery dollar sold24 cents to education
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