FAQs
Hope Scholarship
The Hope Scholarship is a new program that will give West Virginia parents more flexibility and choices, allowing families to use state-allocated funds to customize their child’s education. More than 90% of West Virginia students will qualify for the program!
To qualify for the Hope Scholarship, a student must be a West Virginia resident and be either:
- Eligible to be enrolled in a kindergarten program
- Enrolled full-time in a public elementary or secondary school in this state for the entire instructional term of the academic year preceding the year for which the student is applying to participate in the program
- Or, enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 consecutive calendar days during an instructional term at the time of application. The student must remain enrolled and attending public school until a decision is reached on their application.
Effective beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, a student application submitted within the following dates will receive the associated level of Hope Scholarship funding:
- March 1-June 15: 100% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- June 16-Sept.15: 75% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- Sept. 16-Nov. 30: 50% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- Dec. 1-Feb. 28: 25% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
Do not apply directly in EMA before receiving a response to your Application Request Form.
The Hope Scholarship amount will vary annually depending on the amount of state aid funding per pupil provided to county boards of education for public school students. The scholarship amount for the 2023-24 year will be $4,488.82.
The funds will be deposited in an EMA account where the family will have access to those funds for each eligible student in the household. All purchases will be made via an ACH transaction and will be pre-approved by the Treasurer’s Office. The annual Hope Scholarship amount will be split into two distributions, with the first half being placed into the student accounts by August 15 and the second half being placed into the student accounts by January 15.
Families will spend their Hope Scholarship funds directly through the Education Market Assistant (EMA) platform with participating schools, education service providers, and vendors for qualified educational expenses listed below (non-comprehensive list – the full list can be found in the Parent Handbook). Hope Scholarship funds will not be sent to the parents and reimbursements for payments made out-of-pocket, with non-Hope Scholarship funds, will only be considered on a case-by-case basis caused by extenuating circumstances.
- Tuition and fees for private schools, 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
Yes, you must submit a renewal application for your child annually.
The renewal application window will be open from January 15th to May 15th each year.
Although the renewal and new applications are the same for the 2023-24 school year, the process will be different in future years. Continued proof of West Virginia residency will be required annually with the renewal application, but the birth certificate will only have to be submitted with new applications moving forward.
Yes, there are annual continuing eligibility requirements that students must fulfill to continue with the Hope Scholarship Program. For students attending a participating school under the Hope Scholarship Program, the participating school must send an annual notice of your child’s attendance at their school to the county superintendent of your county of residence by no later than June 8th. For students in the Individualized Instructional Plan (IIP) pathway, there are two options to demonstrate appropriate academic progress to the county superintendent of the county of residence by no later than June 8th annually.
- Nationally normed standardized achievement test of academic achievement in accordance with West Virginia Code §18-31-8(a)(4)(A); or
- A certified teacher conducts a review of the student’s academic work annually.
You can share your story with us here!
A current list of providers can be found on the Hope Scholarship website here.
Yes there is! You can join tons of other families in our Facebook community here, ask questions, and make friends!
TheoPay allows HOPE Scholarship recipients to go out on the web and shop for qualifying expenditures. The system is in addition to the marketplace.
Do not select a school. You will not need to connect to a school.
Yes. You must go into the new system and make a payment. It is part of the double-validation process.
The current handbook has a comprehensive list of expenses. If at first you get a “no” on an item, you can submit it for consideration.
Yes! However, if there is a time-sensitive sale (i.e. ends at midnight) remember it takes 24-48 hours to fulfill. So get in on the sale as early as possible.
No, because the order is being fulfilled in the HOPE system.
The process is more efficient now because it is automated. You will hit an “appeal” button and upload documentation into the system. It still needs to go through the process of a three-member appeals committee. They have 45 days to make a decision, and the family will be notified of the outcome.
The new platform has also been built to be used on mobile phones. It has to be accessed from a browser. You cannot shop on an app such as Amazon.
Yes, if you still need to do so, submit your NOI before school starts.
Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, and many others.
The funds will be returned to the state.
Each student is treated on an individual basis. Purchases can not be grouped.
This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Private schools typically use a full HOPE Scholarship balance for tuition and fees. However, if you have leftover funds, you can use those funds to buy uniforms in TheoPay.
Glossary of Terms
The period of time occurring between the first day of July and ending on the 30th of June, during which a student must meet the educational requirements equivalent to an instructional term under W. Va. Code §18-8-1.
A Hope Scholarship account, awarded by the West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board, to which funds are allocated by the Board to the parent or guardian of an eligible Hope Scholarship student in order to pay for qualifying education expenses to educate the student.
A national EFT network which enables participating financial institutions to distribute electronic credit and debit entries to financial institution accounts and to settle the entries.
The person designated and authorized to administer and manage a Hope Scholarship student’s account. Refers to the person who applies or submits information on behalf of the potential Hope Scholarship student. Does not refer to a “secondary account holder”.
The Hope Scholarship Board created pursuant to W. Va. Code §18-31-3.
A complete course of study for a particular content area or grade level, including any supplemental materials required by the curriculum.
A person or organization that receives payments from Hope Scholarship accounts to provide educational goods and services to Hope Scholarship students.
“Electronic Funds Transfer”.
A child who:
- Is a resident of West Virginia; and
- 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 under W.Va. Code §18-31- 5(c) or enrolled full-time in a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for the entire instructional term the previous year, or is eligible at the time of application to enroll in a kindergarten program in this state pursuant to W.Va. Code §18-8-1a. However, if on July 1, 2024, 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 during the previous school year is less than five percent of West Virginia Hope Scholarship – 2022-2023 Handbook 27 net public school enrollment adjusted for state aid purposes for the previous school year, then, effective July 1, 2026, a child is considered to meet the requirements of this paragraph if he or she is enrolled, eligible to be enrolled, or required to be enrolled in a kindergarten program or public elementary or secondary school program in this state at the time of application.
The moneys deposited into a Hope Scholarship student’s account in accordance with the requirements of this article.
A student who receives a Hope Scholarship.
The website created and maintained to provide program information, documents, and forms available to the public located at www.hopescholarshipwv.com.
A definition can be found in the West Virginia State Code to describe a person’s relationship to a Hope Scholarship student.
A period of continuous enrollment in the West Virginia public school system for the full academic year.
The online system and interface administered by the Treasurer through which parents, vendors, and service providers may complete transactions using Hope Scholarship Funds.
A biological parent, legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of an eligible recipient or Hope Scholarship student.
Any private school that provides education to elementary and/or secondary students and has notified the board of its intention to participate in the program and comply with the program’s requirements.
The county school district in which the student resides.
A single purchase, payment, or transfer.
The West Virginia State Treasurer or designee.
