The account, explained
What the Hope Scholarship pays for in the Kanawha Valley
Hope pays for far more than tuition. Below is what the Board's June 25, 2026 handbook allows, what its non-qualifying list rules out, and how each item plays out for Charleston-area families.
Source. Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook and Non-Qualifying Expense List (both June 25, 2026), and the TheoPay page at hopescholarshipwv.gov. For anything unusual, submit the Board's Qualifying Expense Request Form before buying.
| Expense | Hope rule | In Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Private school tuition and fees | Allowed at a participating school on the Board's list, paid through the portal. | 20 of the 21 schools in our Kanawha Valley directory appear on the Hope list; confirm with the school. |
| Microschool tuition | Allowed. Microschools are not participating schools in law, but their tuition qualifies; the student is enrolled as IIP. | Five metro programs, in South Charleston, St. Albans and Clendenin, are listed as microschools in the Hope directory. |
| Nonpublic online programs | Tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs qualify. | Most useful in Boone, Lincoln and Clay counties, which have one private school each or none. Check the provider's approval first. |
| Public school classes and activities | A county school system or public charter school can be paid for individual classes and extracurriculars; full-time public enrollment and Hope cannot overlap. | Ask your county board (Kanawha, Putnam, Boone, Lincoln or Clay) whether it has signed the Hope provider agreement. |
| Tutoring | Allowed from an individual or tutoring facility, but not from a parent or immediate family member. | Tutors and learning centers in Charleston and South Charleston appear in the Hope provider directory. |
| Educational therapies | Occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language and audiology therapy qualify. | With no special-education private school in the five counties, therapy is where many local families with a diagnosis spend Hope. |
| Curriculum and supplies | Curriculum, textbooks and supplemental materials in core subjects and the arts, plus basic school supplies, qualify. | Home-education families in the valley often build the year around a boxed curriculum plus a co-op or tutor. |
| Computers and educational technology | Computers, printers, smartboards and required software for an educational program qualify, subject to handbook limits. | Home internet does not qualify, which matters in parts of Clay and Lincoln counties where service costs more. |
| Tests and exam prep | Standardized, AP, aptitude and college-admission exam fees and prep courses qualify; so do certified-teacher annual reviews. | IIP families submit test results or a portfolio review by June 8 each year, and Hope can pay for either. |
| Dual credit and college courses | Tuition, fees and materials for dual-credit and college-level courses qualify. | WVSU in Institute and BridgeValley in South Charleston both run dual enrollment for valley high schoolers. |
| Uniforms and school lunch | Uniforms required by a participating school and lunch fees at a participating school qualify. | Relevant at Catholic and Christian schools that require uniforms. |
| Transportation | Fee-for-service transportation from an approved provider qualifies, and is the one Hope use the handbook says may be state taxable. | Parent gas and mileage do not qualify, even for long drives from Boone or Clay. |
| Museums and educational admissions | Admissions to museums, art and science centers, agricultural centers, geological sites and zoos qualify; field-trip travel, lodging and food do not. | Charleston's museums and science centers fit here, but theme parks and movie tickets are on the non-qualifying list. |
| What Hope will not pay for | The non-qualifying list includes home internet, phones, TVs, streaming, game consoles, gift cards, travel sports, sports uniforms, most toys and parent travel. | When unsure, file the Board's Qualifying Expense Request Form before buying, not after. |
Paid inside the portal
Hope money is spent through the online portal run by Student First Technologies. Schools and providers are paid by ACH; approved outside websites go through TheoPay, whose self-serve card is limited to carts of $75 or less.
Check the Board's directory
The Board's directory shows which schools, microschools and providers are approved. Confirm there, then ask the school how it bills each quarter.
Charleston schools →Match bills to four deposits
Money arrives Aug 15, Oct 15, Jan 15 and Apr 15. Ask schools to bill in step with those dates so the account is not short.
Not sure an expense qualifies?
A School Funding Advisor can walk through your plan for the year against the Hope handbook.