West Virginia Hope Scholarship Grows 37.6% as More Families Use It to Homeschool
Local Homeschool News: West Virginia
West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship had another year of strong growth, and homeschooling families are a growing part of the story. The program’s 2025-26 annual report, released October 26, shows 14,486 scholarships awarded, up 37.6% from 10,530 the year before. Each award was worth $5,267.38 per student. The program has grown from 2,333 students in its first year, 2022-23.
Homeschool and microschool families made up 37.59% of Hope usage through Individualized Instruction Plans, a 6.5% increase over the prior year, according to WV MetroNews. Families told the state what they spent the money on most: curriculum, private school tuition, technology, and digital courses. WV News reports that familiar homeschool curriculum names such as The Good and the Beautiful, Christianbook, Abeka, and Rainbow Resource Center were among the leading vendors.
Parents are happy with the results. In the program’s survey, 96% of Hope parents said they were satisfied. Their top reasons for choosing Hope were religious-based education, concerns about public school curriculum, and greater flexibility.
The best news for homeschoolers may be what comes next. The 2026-27 school year is the first year of universal eligibility, so all West Virginia K-12 students, including families who were already homeschooling, can now apply. WV News reported that more than 26,600 students had applied for full funding by June.
Sources:
- Daniel Woods, “Hope Scholarship report shows increase in enrollment, home and microschooling usage,” WV MetroNews, October 27, 2026
- Charles Young, “Hope Scholarship report details $68.5 million in spending, high parent satisfaction,” WV News
- Hope Scholarship Annual Reports (West Virginia Hope Scholarship Program)