South Carolina Arts Commission outlines FY26 School Art Support grant: $2,500 max, 4K now eligible

South Carolina Arts Commission grants staff on Nov. 6 presented guidance for the FY26 School Art Support grant, a reimbursement‑based award that provides up to $2,500 per request to help schools buy supplies, equipment, pay for professional development, support artist residencies and fund creative arts therapy services.

"This grant...help[s] schools acquire supplies, materials, equipment, professional development, or creative arts therapy services," said Mikaela Moore, arts learning coordinator, during the session. Moore and Krista Grenza, grants coordinator, said the application opened July 21 and the commission will accept submissions through Feb. 17 (end of day). The grant period runs from Aug. 18 through May 15; awardees must complete a final report within 30 days after their project end date or by May 31, 2026.

Why it matters: The commission moved this year to include 4K providers by folding the former 4K arts integration grant into the SAS program. That expands eligibility to some preschools and startup 4K classrooms and adds a pathway with a different match requirement. Staff said the change is intended to broaden access to arts funding at the earliest grades while preserving program integrity.

Who is eligible and what the money can pay for Applicants can include 4K startup classrooms/providers that are public school sites, South Carolina First Steps 4K providers, or CERDEP/CERDA providers; K–12 applicants include most public, private and charter schools in South Carolina. Private and charter schools must be registered as a charity with the Secretary of State's office, list South Carolina as their primary address, and either hold federal tax‑exempt status or apply through a tax‑exempt fiscal agent.

Krista Grenza said, "If you are working within a public school, your UEI and your tax information will be the same as your school district," and advised new applicants to contact their district finance office for those identifiers.

Allowed uses include consumable and durable materials, instruments and equipment, professional development (including travel, hotel and substitute teacher costs), artist residencies and creative arts therapy projects. Artist residencies and professional learning must use members of the SC Arts Directory.

Restrictions and match requirements Moore summarized disallowed expenses: "SAS grant funds cannot be used for purchase of clothing or uniforms" and for most direct student services such as field trips or registration/travel fees for students; the transcript also notes costumes and food as generally disallowed, while a separate phrase in the session referenced one‑time shows as handled differently (the webinar text is ambiguous on that point). Applicants should treat disallowed items cautiously and consult staff for clarification.

The maximum request per application is $2,500. K–12 projects use a 1:2 match (applicant pays roughly one‑third, grant covers two‑thirds); the 4K pathway uses a 1:3 match. Certain schools are eligible for no match: those on the South Carolina Department of Education list of schools with high low‑income student populations and 4K providers in designated opportunity counties receive priority points or no‑match consideration. Staff stressed priority points do not reduce the score of other applicants.

Application, budget and review process Applications must be submitted through the commission's grants portal and should be created under the school or district account (not an individual teacher account). Staff recommended submitting applications at least five weeks before the project start date so grants staff can perform completeness checks and panel reviewers have sufficient time. The commission reviews budgets for accuracy and will request corrections before sending applications to panel.

Applicants must use the commission's Excel budget spreadsheet (.xls or .xlsx). Support documentation should be specific: vendor quotes, screenshots of shopping carts or PDFs (up to 10 uploads). Estimates for travel are acceptable, but the commission cannot pay more than the awarded amount. Match contributions must be 100% cash (no in‑kind); an SCAC grant cannot be used as match.

Awards, contracting and payment If approved, awardees receive an email with the award amount and instructions to complete a contract packet. The packet requires signatures from the principal and a district‑level authorized official (e.g., superintendent or chief financial officer) because school districts pay expenses up front; SCAC issues reimbursement after receipt and approval of the final report. The final report is due 30 days after the project's end date or by May 31, 2026 at the latest. The commission described a delinquent grantee communication policy for recipients who do not respond after award.

Staff support and resources Program staff offered pre‑submission help: they can review draft applications and answer questions; the grants team handles technical portal issues. The grants portal also provides a downloadable question list so applicants may draft responses before opening an account. Moore encouraged applicants to consult the rubrics while drafting answers: "The main difference is just how well you tell the story of what you're trying to accomplish," she said.

What applicants should prepare Key items applicants should have ready include the school's UEI, an Excel budget using the commission template, itemized vendor quotes/screenshots, and any required proof of tax‑exempt status or fiscal agent arrangements. Applicants should enter the full $2,500 maximum request in the budget even if they expect to request less, to ensure calculations and caps operate correctly; staff will correct obvious entry errors before panel review.

Questions from attendees covered whether to enter the full $2,500 cap in the budget (staff advised yes) and how to handle travel cost fluctuations (staff said applicants bear increases beyond the award but may request approval to reallocate underspent funds to other eligible purchases).

For more information, contact the South Carolina Arts Commission grants team (grants@arts.sc.gov) or program staff; Krista Grenza said her email is on the grant guidelines page and in the session chat.