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IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO APPLY FOR THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM:
Parents/guardians must complete a letter of intent to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program. You are responsible for sending it to the county superintendent in your county of residence. CLICK HERE for a sample Notice of Intent letter that may be used.
You must create an account through the Education Market Assistant (EMA) portal link HERE before applying.
You will need your child’s WVEIS ID#. This is assigned by your County Board of Education. (If you do not have a WVEIS ID# for your incoming kindergarten student, please contact your county board of education.)
How do I get a WVEIS ID# for my child?
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Fill out the sample Notice of Intent from the Home Scholarship website.
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Send it to your county BOE via email or USPS mail.
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They will send back your child’s WVEIS ID#.
What is the Hope Scholarship?
West Virginia parents now have more flexibility and choices to educate their children. The Hope Scholarship, passed in the Legislature during the 2021 Regular Session, is a portion of state-allocated educational dollars that funds a student for use on a range of state-approved educational items.
The Hope Scholarship is an Education Savings Account program, more commonly known as an “ESA.” The Scholarship will allow parents and families to use the money to fund an individualized learning experience that works best for their child.
How much money will my family be eligible to receive?
The Hope Scholarship gives parents approximately $4,300 each year, per child to customize each individual child’s education. However, that amount may be subject to change each year based on the state’s education funding formula.
I have more than one child. Are they all eligible?
The Hope Scholarship gives eligible parents approximately $4,300 per child, per school year. They will receive the funds in two deposits: The first on August 15 and the second on January 15.
How can I use my child’s Hope Scholarship?
Below is the list of qualified expenses as approved by the Hope Scholarship Board.
- Private or parochial school tuition and fees.
- Tuition and fees for programs of study, curriculum, or supplemental materials in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, or the arts.
- Tuition and fees for programs of study or the curriculum of courses that lead to an industry-recognized credential that satisfies a workforce need.
- Tuition and fees for a program or curriculum that a public school offers to Hope Scholarship students, pursuant to W. Va. Code §18-31-8(f).
- Tutoring services provided by an individual or a tutoring service: Provided, that tutoring services cannot be provided by a member of the Hope Scholarship student’s immediate family.
- Fees for nationally standardized assessments, advanced placement examinations, any examinations related to college or university admission, any examinations for industry certification exams, and tuition and fees for preparatory courses for the aforementioned exams.
- Tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs.
- Tuition and fees for alternative education programs.
- Fees for after-school or summer education programs.
- Fees and materials for enrollment in dual credit or college-level courses.
- Educational services and therapies, including, but not limited to, occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language, and audiology therapies.
- Fees for transportation are paid to a fee-for-service transportation provider for the student to travel to and from an education service provider.
- The cost of school uniforms required by a participating school.
- Vocational supplies or equipment required for a K-12 course of study.
The Board may also approve an expense not listed upon request.
How many students will be eligible for the scholarship?
Eligibility is not merit-based. To be eligible for the Hope Scholarship program a child must be:
- Under 21
- A resident of West Virginia
- Currently enrolled in the public school system and have been enrolled for at least forty-five calendar days in an instructional period. Unless your child is going into kindergarten, then the enrollment requirement does not apply.
Your child may be eligible if you answer “yes” to the following questions:
- Are you a resident of West Virginia?
- Is your child be attending, full-time, a public elementary or high school in the state for the 2021/2022 school year?
When will the Hope Scholarship be available to my family?
The program is scheduled to begin in the Fall 2022 school year with an application period to open by March 1, 2022.
Where will funds be deposited?
Funds will be deposited into the EMA account that you created during the application process. More details on transactions and the exchange of funds will be made known closer to August 15th.
Are current home school or private school students eligible for the Hope Scholarship?
Unfortunately, if you are currently a homeschool student or enrolled in a private school, you are not eligible for the Hope Scholarship. However, the Hope Scholarship law states that if by 2024, fewer than 5% of current public-school students enroll in the program, then the Hope Scholarship will be available to homeschool and private school West Virginia students in 2026.
How is the Hope Scholarship funded?
The Hope Scholarship is funded through the state’s education funding formula. The money used for the Hope Scholarship is the state portion of the per-pupil cost.
Who manages the Hope Scholarship Program?
The program is overseen by the State Treasurer’s office and administered by the Hope Scholarship Board, referred to as “the Board.” The Board is chaired by the State Treasurer and is made up of the Auditor, Attorney General, State Superintendent of Schools, Chancellor of Higher Education, Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, and three Hope Scholarship Parents.
To administer the Hope Scholarship accounts, create the applications, and oversee the transactions, the Board has contracted with “Step Up for Students.” This nonprofit oversees the ESA and Hope Scholarship program in Florida.
Who are “Account Holders?”
Account Holders are the individuals designated and authorized to administer and manage a Hope Scholarship student’s account. They can be either a legal guardian or an 18-year-old Hope Scholarship Student.
Secondary Account Holders, who must meet the criteria previously stated, may be added, but their authority is limited to completing purchases for the students using the online portal. Secondary Account Holders may be removed on request from the Account Holder.
If the Account Holder, Secondary Account Holder, or student cannot administer the funds, they can request that the Board change who the Account Holder designee is.
How are accounts established?
The Account Holder is responsible for setting up the student’s Hope Scholarship account. This will be done in consultation with the Board and vendor.
When and where can parents apply?
Applications for the Hope Scholarship will be open from March 1st-May 15th of each academic year. All applications will be available on the West Virginia Hope Scholarship Website.
You will be required to renew your Hope Scholarship account on a yearly basis. Renewal applications are open from January 15-May 15.
Late applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
How long will it be before a parent is informed that their family has been accepted into the Hope Scholarship Program?
Parents will receive a letter within 45-days of their application submission. During this time, a student must remain enrolled in the public school system.
What happens if parents do not re-enroll in the Hope Scholarship Program?
If an account is not renewed, then the account is closed, and all remaining funds are forfeited to the state. If you do not re-enroll, so long as you meet the criteria the next academic year, you may reapply.
What is on the application?
The application will specify who the Account Holder and the student are along with their appropriate contact information. You also have to provide the student’s West Virginia Education Information System number, an Account Holder contract, and documentation to prove eligibility to enroll in the Hope Scholarship.
If you are part of a family with multiple students participating in the Hope Scholarship you must submit different applications for each child.
What is on the Account Holder contract?
By signing the Account Holder contract, you are agreeing to the following:
- To ensure that the Hope Scholarship student receives an education in at least the subjects of reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies.
- To use the Hope Scholarship funds exclusively for qualifying expenses of the Hope Scholarship student as provided in W. Va. Code §18-31-7 and section 9 of this rule.
- To comply with the rules and requirements of W. Va. Code §18-31-1 et seq. and this rule.
- To afford the Hope Scholarship student opportunities for educational enrichment such as organized athletics, art, music, or literature.
- For a student who chooses an individualized instructional program, to submit the student’s annual nationally normed standardized achievement test results or an annual certified teacher’s review of the student’s academic work to the superintendent of the county of residence, as required by W. Va. Code §18-31-8, no later than June 8 prior to the upcoming academic year.
- To authorize the Board, the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, the West Virginia Department of Education, and the contracted program manager acting on behalf of the Board to exchange all necessary enrollment or other data to confirm initial and ongoing eligibility for the Hope Scholarship Program.
This will be available once applications open.
What am I required to do as an Account Holder?
Account Holder requirements are outlined in the Account Holder contract.
- To ensure that the Hope Scholarship student receives an education in at least the subjects of reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies.
- To use the Hope Scholarship funds exclusively for qualifying expenses of the Hope Scholarship student as provided in W. Va. Code §18-31-7 and section 9 of this rule.
- To comply with the rules and requirements of W. Va. Code §18-31-1 et seq. and this rule.
- To afford the Hope Scholarship student opportunities for educational enrichment such as organized athletics, art, music, or literature.
- For a student who chooses an individualized instructional program, to submit the student’s annual nationally normed standardized achievement test results or an annual certified teacher’s review of the student’s academic work to the superintendent of the county of residence, as required by W. Va. Code §18-31-8, no later than June 8 prior to the upcoming academic year.
- To authorize the Board, the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, the West Virginia Department of Education, and the contracted program manager acting on behalf of the Board to exchange all necessary enrollment or other data to confirm initial and ongoing eligibility for the Hope Scholarship Program.
If you do not submit a contract with your application, that is grounds for denial of a Hope Students application.
How will funds be transacted?
The funds for the Hope Scholarship are deposited into the accounts created by the Account Holders for each of their students. The funds can only be transacted electronically between the Account Holder and education service provider. The exact process for the transaction is still being developed by the Board and will be ready once the program goes into effect this July.
When will funds be deposited?
The amount that families can expect is nearly $4,300 for the 2022-2023 academic year. Scholarship funds will be deposited in two disbursements: the first one on August 15 and the second on January 15.
Any funds that are not used during an academic year will be rolled over to the student’s account for the next year.
Can I request refunds or reimbursements?
Any request for a refund or reimbursement must be approved by the Board.
Where can parents find information on approved Education Service Providers?
The Board will ensure that all information on approved providers is easily accessible and readily available on the Hope Scholarship website, found here.
Can Hope funds be used to hire a family member as a tutor?
While approved private tutors can be paid using the Hope Scholarship fund, you cannot hire an immediate family member.
The rules define an immediate family member as a student’s:
- Parents, grandparents, or ancestors of either.
- Siblings, stepsiblings, or children of the students.
- First cousin of the students.
- Stepparent of the students.
- A brother or sister of the students’ parents.
- The student’s in-laws.
- The student’s spouse or the spouse of anyone in this section.
- Anyone who is adopted into the family.
Can Hope funds be used at a school that employs a student’s relative?
Neither the rules nor legislation prohibits the use of funds at a school that employs a Hope student relative. This is because the money goes to the school rather than directly to a relative.
What happens if an Account Holder misuses funds?
Accounts may be frozen or have a hold placed on transactions. This will happen if the Board finds evidence of intentional misuse of funds, fraud, or criminal activity. Account Holders will be notified within 20 days of a freeze or hold. If an audit or inquiry into potential misuse of funds leads to account closure, the rules specify that the funds will return to the Hope Scholarship Program Fund.
Who is on the Hope Scholarship Board?
West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board Members
Chairman, WV State Treasurer – Riley Moore
WV State Auditor Designee – Anthony Woods, Deputy State Auditor
WV State Attorney General – Patrick Morrisey
WV State Superintendent of Schools Designee – Dustin Lambert, Coordinator
Chancellor of Higher Education Designee – Brian Weingart, Senior Director of Financial Aid
Director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs – Jill Upson
Parent – Jonathan “Zak” Ritchie
Parent – Charles Russell
Parent – Amanda Hoylman
Subcommittee on Legislative Rules
Parent – Jonathan “Zak” Ritchie
Parent – Charles Russell
When should I disenroll my child from public school?
Upon receiving notice that you have been accepted into the Hope Scholarship Program, you may disenroll from public school. However, ensure that you provide your Hope Scholarship acceptance letter to your current public school when you disenroll.
My letter says I have been “determined eligible.” Does this mean that I have been accepted into the Hope Scholarship program?
Yes, the determination of eligibility is your acceptance letter! The letter says “determined eligible” because the funds can be revoked upon ineligibility for the program.
You will only become ineligible for Hope after receiving this letter if you leave West Virginia and become residents of another state or your student finishes high school.
Does enrollment in a virtual public school meet the enrollment and attendance criteria?
Yes, full-time enrollment and attendance in a virtual public school satisfy the requirements of the Hope Scholarship law and rules.
What are the attendance requirements for the Hope Scholarship?
The Hope Scholarship Law requires that a student is enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days during an instructional term at the time of application and until an award letter is issued by the board.
A student who has been enrolled in and attending public school for a full year should not face issues related to attendance requirements.
A student who enrolled in public school to become eligible for Hope will have stricter attendance requirements. The Hope Scholarship program requires a student to be enrolled for 45 calendar days (not instructional days) to be eligible. A student, in this category, cannot have missed more than 4.5 days of school. A student who has missed more than 4.5 days of school, may be rejected due to chronic absences.
Do parents who plan to home educate under the Hope Scholarship need to become approved Education Service Providers?
No. Parents who plan to home educate under the Hope Scholarship do not need to become approved providers! Registering as a provider means that you agree to receive Hope Scholarship funds in exchange for classes, curriculum, and tutoring services. It is illegal for an immediate family member of a student to receive their Hope funds. Therefore, you should not and cannot register as a provider for your child(ren).
What do the various application status’ mean?
The Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook on pages 5-6 defines five different application statuses:
Eligible – Satisfied the appropriate eligibility requirements.
Ineligible – Has not satisfied the eligibility requirements.
On Hold – Supporting documentation has been processed & there is missing information, or the information needs further clarity.
Awarded – Indicates a student was found eligible
Funded – Indicates a student was found eligible & funding is available and placed in the student educational savings account within EMA.
Are there a limited number of scholarships available?
No! There are not a limited number of scholarships available for Hope Scholarship students. Any eligible student can apply, and all eligible students will be accepted into the program!