The Hope Scholarship is West Virginia's education savings account. The Legislature created it in 2021, families first used it in 2022 after the state Supreme Court of Appeals lifted an injunction that began with a suit filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court, and the Hope Scholarship Board, chaired by State Treasurer Larry Pack, runs it today. Student First Technologies is the program manager that operates the online portal.
The big change for 2026-27 is eligibility. The law had a trigger: if Hope students made up less than 5% of public school enrollment, the program would open to everyone. That happened, so starting July 1, 2026, any West Virginia student who could enroll in a public school in grades K-12 can apply, including children who have always been in a Catholic school in Charleston or always homeschooled in Lincoln County. A record 26,617 students applied for full funding for 2026-27.
The amount is $5,435.62 per student for a full year, tied to the statewide average per-pupil funding from the year before. It is not paid to parents. It is deposited in four quarterly installments (Aug 15, Oct 15, Jan 15 and Apr 15), and families spend it inside the portal with participating schools, approved providers and approved vendors. The portal's TheoPay marketplace lets families buy from approved outside websites, and its self-serve card works only for carts of $75 or less.
Timing decides how much a new family gets. Applications filed by June 15 were funded at 100%, by Sep 15 at 75%, from Sep 16 to Nov 30 at 50% and from Dec 1 to Feb 28, 2027 at 25%. A Kanawha Valley family applying this fall is in the 50% window, which works out to $2,717.81 for the rest of the year. Applications for 2027-28 open March 1, 2027.
Two pieces of paperwork trip up local families. Every application needs the child's WVEIS number, which comes from the county board of education (Kanawha, Putnam, Boone, Lincoln or Clay). After approval, the family files a Hope Notice of Intent with the county superintendent; the account is not funded until that notice is on file by the cutoff before each deposit.
Hope Scholarship calculator What's left after Hope What Hope pays for
Combining it with other sources
Hope Scholarship can usually be used alongside the school's own aid. Rules differ by source, so the funding check maps which ones fit together for your child.
Common questions
Can a Charleston child who has always attended private school get the Hope Scholarship now?
Yes. Starting with the 2026-27 school year, the Hope Scholarship no longer requires prior public school attendance. A Charleston-area child already enrolled at a private or Catholic school, or homeschooled, can apply if the child lives in West Virginia and could enroll in a public K-12 school. The family applies online at hopescholarshipwv.gov and needs the child's WVEIS number from the county board of education.
Where does a Kanawha County family get the WVEIS number for a Hope Scholarship application?
A Kanawha County family gets the WVEIS number from Kanawha County Schools, the county board of education. Putnam, Boone, Lincoln and Clay families ask their own county board. Every Hope Scholarship application needs this state student ID, along with a state or county birth certificate; the Hope Scholarship Board does not accept hospital birth certificates as proof of age.
Does the Hope Scholarship send money to parents in West Virginia?
No. The Hope Scholarship never sends cash to parents. The Hope Scholarship Board deposits each quarter's award into the student's online portal account, and parents pay participating schools, approved providers and approved vendors from inside that portal. Reimbursement for out-of-pocket purchases is allowed only in the limited cases set out in the Board's reimbursement policy, and families cannot add their own money to the account.
Is the Hope Scholarship counted as taxable income in West Virginia?
Hope Scholarship deposits are not West Virginia taxable income, according to the Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook. The one exception the handbook names is money spent on fee-for-service transportation. Families with questions about federal tax treatment or a specific purchase should ask a tax professional, because the handbook speaks only to West Virginia state income tax.