How the money actually flows

Partners in Education Tax Credit Program (PIETCP) is a tax-credit (insurance-premium) program with limited/means-tested eligibility. Awards are no fixed state amount — varies by SGO (avg capped at ≤82.5% of state per-pupil share, EdChoice-sourced). Payments run through SD Division of Insurance (DLR); SGOs disburse to families. Confirm the current details on the official program site before acting.

1. Confirm how the money flows. South Dakota families use Partners in Education Tax Credit Program (PIETCP) funds through SD Division of Insurance (DLR); SGOs disburse to families to pay approved schools/providers. Your job is to be set up to receive them cleanly.

2. Get your business paperwork in order. Legal entity, tax ID (EIN), and proof you are a real operating school.

3. Meet the state requirements. SD has no general private-school registration/licensing; BUT a PIETCP 'qualifying school' MUST be accredited by the SD Dept. of Education.

4. Apply as an approved provider. Notify an SGO of intent to participate and comply with program rules; SD-DOE accreditation is required specifically for PIETCP.

5. Keep clean invoicing & records. Program spending is documented and audited. Clear invoices and audit-ready records are how you get paid and stay clear.

Important for South Dakota: Insurance-premium-credit model (unusual). Accreditation required for PIETCP despite no general requirement. Separate FEDERAL opt-in pending 2027.

The one step that decides whether you get funded in South Dakota

We read the South Dakota rules and wrote up exactly what gates the money, what the law says word for word, and where founders stall.

Read the South Dakota funding gate →

Want us to walk the South Dakota approval with you?

Get set up in South Dakota

Read this before you buy: In South Dakota, state scholarship money only reaches schools accredited by the Department of Education, and a new microschool will not have that in its first year. This kit covers opening legally and the route to accreditation. It does not promise scholarship funding in year one.

South Dakota has no approval step to open, so setup is light, but scholarship funding waits on state accreditation. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.

Launch Kit · $950. Your South Dakota playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.

Get the Launch Kit · $950

Concierge · $1,995. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we map your route to South Dakota Department of Education accreditation with you in a working session, and prepare the packet a scholarship organization will ask for once you are accredited.

Get Concierge · $1,995

Secure checkout via Stripe. We email you within one business day to confirm your state and school. Guidance, not legal advice.

Or start free: the South Dakota checklist

Free: the South Dakota microschool starter checklist

Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.

Questions founders ask

Do you take a cut of my scholarship money?

No. You pay us once, and never a per-student cut.

Do I have to use a specific curriculum?

No. MicroschoolLaunchKit is the compliance and operations layer — use whatever curriculum or model you want. We handle the paperwork around it, not the teaching.

What exactly is ESA / voucher approval?

Many states let families use public scholarship funds for private-school tuition. Getting approved as a provider/vendor is how that money reaches your school. We walk you through it, state by state.

Do you take a cut of my tuition?

Never. You pay us once. Your tuition is 100% yours — unlike franchise networks that take a fee for every student.

Is this legal advice?

No. We give plain-language guidance and sourced requirements, not legal advice. For legal-sensitive decisions we point you to an education attorney.

Official sources (verify current requirements): dlr.sd.gov

How to get funded in South Dakota