West Virginia School Choice Options

The Hope Scholarship is an education savings account. It lets families use the state portion of per-pupil funding for a K-12 learning plan instead of attending public school full time. The full 2026-27 award is $5,435.62, equal to the prior-year statewide average public-school allotment per pupil, minus up to 5% retained for administration (Hope Scholarship FAQ; Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook, updated June 25, 2026).

Beginning in 2026-27, funds are placed in student accounts in four equal installments no later than August 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15. An account is not funded without an active Hope Scholarship notice of intent on file, or if the county has terminated that notice (Hope Scholarship; Parent Handbook).

The student must be a West Virginia resident and remain one while in the program; must be enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a West Virginia public school in grades K-12; must be under 21; and must not have already completed a secondary program. Incoming kindergarten students must be at least five years old before July 1 (Hope Scholarship; Hope Scholarship: New Students).

Homeschoolers: Existing private school and traditional homeschool students who were not previously eligible may participate beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The Board states that, because the July 1, 2024, participation rate was under the statutory 5% threshold, all West Virginia students became eligible effective July 1, 2026 (Hope Scholarship; FAQ). All applications require a valid WVEIS ID from a county board of education.

Apply through the official Hope Scholarship website. For 2026-27, new applications opened March 2, 2026. The timing of the original application sets the first-year funding share (Hope Scholarship; New Students):

• March 2 (handbook also lists March 1) through June 15, 2026: 100%
• June 16 through September 15, 2026: 75%
• September 16 through November 30, 2026: 50%
• December 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027: 25%
• After February 28, 2027: no 2026-27 funding; you may apply for 2027-28

As of November 10, 2026, a new 2026-27 application falls in the 50% window through November 30. Returning students confirm continued participation (the 2026-27 window was January 5 to June 15, 2026). You must also file a Hope Scholarship notice of intent with the county superintendent; the handbook says this filing is generally a one-time requirement (Parent Handbook; W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(m)).

Purchases are made electronically in the Hope Scholarship portal with Board-approved vendors and providers. Reimbursements are allowed only in limited cases under the Board’s reimbursement policy. Pre-K expenses do not qualify (Parent Handbook).

Qualifying expenses include, among others, individual public-school classes and extracurriculars; private or parochial tuition and fees at a participating school; tutoring (not by an immediate family member); assessments and college-admission exams; industry-credential programs; nonpublic online or alternative programs; after-school or summer education programs; educational therapies; curriculum and supplemental materials in core subjects and the arts; approved transportation; dual-credit or college courses; required school uniforms; basic educational supplies; technology needed for an educational program; assistive technology; vocational supplies; microschool tuition; certified-teacher annual reviews; and other items listed in the Parent Handbook (Parent Handbook; Hope Scholarship).

Unused funds carry forward to later years if the student remains eligible and completes continued-participation requirements. If the account is closed, remaining funds return to the state (Parent Handbook).

The program is governed by the Hope Scholarship Board. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office performs substantial administrative functions. Student First Technologies is the program manager for the online portal (Parent Handbook). Start at hopescholarshipwv.gov for applications, the FAQ, and the Parent Handbook (updated June 25, 2026).

West Virginia appears on the IRS list of states that have elected to participate in the federal scholarship tax credit for 2027, as of October 22, 2026 (IRS: FSTC Participating States). The federal credit is for donations to scholarship granting organizations; it is not a direct payment to homeschool parents.

Home instruction, Hope Scholarship, microschool, and learning pod students who meet the statutory academic and other conditions may take part in interscholastic athletics and other extracurricular activities at the public secondary school serving their attendance zone (W. Va. Code § 18-2-25; HSLDA). See our West Virginia Homeschool Laws page for the full eligibility list.

See our West Virginia Homeschool Laws page for notice, assessment, and other legal requirements that still apply to homeschool families, including those who also use the Hope Scholarship.

• West Virginia Hope Scholarship; Hope Scholarship FAQ; New Students; Parent Handbook (updated June 25, 2026)
• West Virginia Code § 18-8-1(m) and § 18-31-1 et seq.; § 18-2-25
• IRS: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Participating States (as of October 22, 2026); HSLDA: Public School Access in West Virginia

Last reviewed: November 10, 2026