SOUTH CAROLINA
STATE RESOURCES

A minimum bachelor’s degree in education is required to teach in South Carolina. Individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in an area other than education can pursue a Master of Arts (MAT) in teaching.

South Carolina requires educators to take the Praxis Exams for their desired licensure area. You can view all of the required exams: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/required-examinations/23-24/ 

In South Carolina, the primary license earned by special education teachers is Special Education: Multicategorical. This license allows educators to teach students in preschool through 12th grade with all disabilities. A license in a specific area (e.g., Learning Disabilities, Severe Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities) is not required if the educator has a license in Multicategorical, but the additional coursework can better prepare educators to teach students with more intensive or specialized support needs. You can learn more here: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/provisionalinitial/   

A full manual has been created for your reference: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/certification-legislation-and-policy/certification-regulations/initial-certificate-guidelines-for-classroom-teaching-fields  

How to Submit Transcripts & Forms: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/certification-forms/  

Provisional Initial Certificate

On August 9, 2022, the State Board of Education approved the Provisional Initial certificate as a three-year pilot as part of the Initial Certificate Guidelines for Classroom Teaching Fields. This option creates a pathway to certification for an individual who has completed all requirements of an approved, traditional college- or university-based teacher preparation program but has not earned a passing score on one or more required certification exams.

The Provisional Initial certificate may be issued to an eligible candidate at the request of an employing South Carolina public school district. Limitations and restrictions do apply and are outlined below.

Teacher Preparation Program

• The candidate must have successfully completed all requirements of an approved, traditional teacher preparation program with student teaching at a regionally accredited college or university. Required documentation must include

• the official transcript with degree conferred and

• the completed program verification/certification recommendation signed by the dean or that official’s designee.

Certification Eligibility

• The candidate must have met all other eligibility requirements for issuance of a South Carolina educator certificate. Required documentation includes

  • a current standard application for certification submitted within the last 12 months,

  • valid non-refundable application fee,

  • official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, and

  • successful completion of the character and fitness review process including current fingerprint-based background reports submitted within the last 18 months.

Certification Assessment Scores

• The candidate must have earned scores on the subject area and pedagogy exams for the certification field that meet requirements of the South Carolina Certification Assessment Program–Alternate Plan. For issuance of the Provisional Initial certificate, the candidate must have earned scores within -2 standard errors of measurement (SEMs) of the standard passing score for the specific certification field and grade span.

South Carolina offers several alternative pathways to licensure. In order to be eligible, candidates must:

• Holds at least a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university.

• Did not participate in student teaching in a traditional education preparation program leading to teacher licensure.

• Has not participated in another South Carolina approved alternative certification program.

More information can be found here: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/alternative-certification/programs/ 

The South Carolina Department of Education maintains a list of approved educator preparation programs: https://ed.sc.gov/educators/teaching-in-south-carolina/epp/ 

• South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children - https://southcarolina.exceptionalchildren.org/   

• TeachSC - https://southcarolina.teach.org/ 

• • • TeachSC (https://southcarolina.teach.org/)

      • • TeachSC requires a free account to sign up. Users can find information about teacher certification and preparation for the state. Additionally, they offer a financial aid search tool. As of 9/13/24, some of the financial aid opportunities include:

          • • • Future Special Education Teacher Scholarship ($1000)

              • $100 reimbursement for any fees associated with applying to a teacher education preparation program (e.g., application fees, test fees, transcript fees)

              • South Carolina Student Loan ($5,000 per year, up to 1/3 forgiven if you teach in a critical need subject area or geographic area)

    • South Carolina Commision on Higher Education (https://www.che.sc.gov/students-families-and-military/scholarships-and-grants-sc-residents)

      • • SC HOPE: $2,800 per year with a 3.0 high school GPA

        • LIFE: $5,000 per year with a 3.0 high school GPA, 1100 SAT or 22 ACT, and/or ranked in top 30% of graduating class (must have 2 of 3)

        • Palmetto Fellows: $6,700 in year 1 and $7,500 in year 2 with a 3.5 high school GPA, 1200 SAT or 25 ACT, and top 6% rank in 10th, 11th, or 12th grades OR 4.0 GPA and 1400 SAT or 31 ACT.

        • SC Need-Based Grant: $3,500 per year based on FAFSA need status

    • South Carolina Teacher Loan (https://www.scstudentloan.org/career-pathways/teacher-loans)

      • • Freshmen and sophomores may borrow up to $2,500 per year. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students may borrow up to $7,500 per year. Career changers may borrow up to $15,000 per year. Loan forgiveness is eligible for teachers in critical geographic and/or critical subject areas. The loan is forgiven at the rate of 20% for each full year teaching in a South Carolina public school in a critical subject or critical geographic area, or at a rate of 33 1/3% for each year teaching in a South Carolina public school in a critical subject AND geographic area. For the 2024/2025 school year, critical subject areas include all areas of special education (early childhood, emotional disabilities, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, multi-categorical, severe disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments).

    • Call Me MISTER Program (https://southcarolina.teach.org/call-me-mister)

      • • Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role models) is a mentoring and scholarship program for historically underrepresented (primarily Black male) teacher candidates pursuing an undergraduate degree in early childhood education, elementary education, middle-level education, secondary education, special education, art, music, or physical education or a MAT degree in early childhood, elementary, middle, or secondary education. The following universities offer the Call Me MISTER program (universities offering undergraduate special education programs bolded):

          • • • Aiken Technical College

              • Greenville Technical College

              • Anderson University

              • Charleston Southern University

              • Claflin University

              • Clemson University

              • Coastal Carolina University

              • College of Charleston

              • Columbia College

              • Converse University

              • Lander University

              • Limestone University

              • Newberry College

              • Southern Wesleyan University

              • University of South Carolina- Aiken

              • University of South Carolina- Beaufort

              • University of South Carolina Upstate

              • Winthrop University

              • Morris College

              • South Carolina State University

    • Teaching Fellows (https://www.cerra.org/teaching-fellows.html)

      • • Teaching Fellows provides up to $24,000 in fellowship funds over four years for students completing a degree leading to initial teacher certification. Fellows agree to teach in a South Carolina public school one year for every year they receive the fellowship. The following universities offer Teaching Fellows (universities offering undergraduate special education programs bolded):

          • • • Anderson University

              • Charleston Southern University

              • Clemson University

              • Coastal Carolina University

              • College of Charleston

              • Francis Marion University

              • Lander University

              • University of South Carolina- Aiken

              • University of South Carolina

              • University of South Carolina- Upstate

              • Winthrop University 

SC CREATE (Centers for the Re-Education and Advancement of Teachers in special Education and related services personnel)  (https://ed.sc.gov/districts-schools/special-education-services/projects-and-supports/create/)   

• Any individuals employed full-time in a South Carolina public or charter school (e.g., paraeducators, general education teachers, secretaries, custodians) are eligible to apply for the CREATE program. The program underwrites tuition and textbook costs for initial, alternative, and add-on licensure programs in special education and related services. The following universities offer CREATE courses:

  • Clemson University

  • Coastal Carolina University

  • Converse University

  • Francis Marion University

  • Furman University 

  • Lander University

  • Southern Wesleyan University

  • University of Illinois Chicago

  • University of South Carolina

  • University of South Carolina Upstate

  • Winthrop University