West Virginia Hope Scholarship Program
Funding Available for West Virginia Students
West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Program is an education savings account (ESA) that allows eligible parents to receive the average per-pupil state funding already set aside for their children’s education onto an electronic, parent-controlled fund for educational expenses.
Those expenses can include private school tuition, tutoring, credentialing, therapies, transportation and more.
Passed by the West Virginia Legislature during the 2021 Regular Legislative Session, the program is scheduled to begin with the Fall 2022 school year, with an application period to open by March 2022.
The ESA empowers families with the freedom and flexibility to customize their child’s education and the program’s rollover provision allows them to save for future educational expenses.
West Virginia Hope Scholarships are equal to 100 percent of the prior year’s statewide average net state aid allotted per pupil (about $4,600 in 2020–21). If a student is awarded a Hope Scholarship for less than the full school year, they receive a prorated share of that amount. Unused funds carry over to the next school year.
Qualifying expenses for Hope Scholarship accounts include:
- individual classes and extracurricular activities provided by a public school district;
- private school tuition and fees;
- tutoring services;
- fees for nationally standardized assessments, advanced placement exams, any college admission exams, and any preparatory courses for these exams;
- tuition and fees for courses leading to an industry-recognized credential;
- tuition and fees for non-public online learning programs, alternative education programs, and after-school or summer education programs;
- educational services and therapies.
Parents may also use Hope Scholarship funds to pay transportation providers to bring their students to and from an education service provider.
Hope Scholarship funds can be used to pay for all services provided by the Center for Multisensory Learning, including individual and/or group tutoring services in math and reading. Contact us to learn more about how you can use Hope Scholarship funds to access tutoring at the CML.
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Student Eligibility
A student is eligible for the Hope Scholarship Program if they are a resident of West Virginia and fall into one of the following categories:
- The student is entering kindergarten for the first time.
- The student was enrolled full time in a public elementary or secondary school program in this state the previous year.
- The student is enrolled full time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 days during an instructional term at the time of application.
Parents may renew their children’s Hope scholarships each year after initial approval, up to a student’s high school graduation or when they turn 21 years old.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are current home school students eligible?
- If a student is currently being home schooled, the student is not eligible to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program.
- However, the student could become eligible by enrolling full time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 days at the time of application.
When will current non-public school students be eligible for the program?
- If the participation rate of the combined number of students in the Hope Scholarship Program and students eligible who have applied to participate in the Hope Scholarship program in 2024 is less than five percent of net public school enrollment adjusted for state aid purposes for the previous school year, then, effective July 1, 2026, all students will be eligible to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program.
How much money could I receive?
- Under the current School Aid Formula, each eligible student would receive $4,600 annually. This number will vary from year to year depending on the School Aid Formula.
What can families spend the money on?
- Families can use the funds to pay for:
- Tuition and fees for private school, non-public online programs, or alternative education programs
- Services provided by a public school (extracurricular, individual courses)
- Tutoring services
- Fees for standardized or advanced placement exams
- Fees for preparation courses
- Educational services and therapies
- Supplemental materials (supplies, textbooks)
- Transportation fees
- Any other qualified expense as approved by the Hope Scholarship Board
When can I apply for the Hope Scholarship Program?
- Currently, there is not a date for when applications will be made available. However, applications will be made available no later than March 1, 2022. The Treasurer’s Office will advertise the availability of applications at the appropriate time.