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🎓 West Virginia School Choice, ESAs & Scholarships

Which West Virginia education savings accounts, scholarships and tax credits a homeschool family can use, what they pay for, and where West Virginia stands on school choice — from our West Virginia guide.

Overseen by	The Hope Scholarship Board, with the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office handling day-to-day administration (W. Va. Code §18-31-1 and following)
Administered by	The Hope Scholarship online portal, run for the Board by Student First Technologies (Theo). Families buy services in the portal's Marketplace and goods through TheoPay.
Amount per student, 2026–27	$5,435.62 for a full award. It equals the prior year's statewide average net state aid per pupil, so it changes every year. Starting in 2026–27 it is paid in four quarterly deposits (by August 15, October 15, January 15 and April 15). Unused money rolls over while the student stays in the program.
Who is eligible	Any West Virginia resident who is enrolled in, or eligible to enroll in, a West Virginia public school in grades K–12, under age 21 and without a high school diploma. Kindergartners must turn 5 before July 1. There is no income limit, and since 2026–27 there is no prior public school requirement.
Application window / next dates	New 2026–27 applications are taken until February 28, 2027, but the first-year amount depends on when you apply: 100% through June 15, 2026, 75% through September 15, 50% from September 16 to November 30, 2026 (,717.81), and 25% from December 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Returning students renew each year between January 5 and June 15. 2027–28 dates have not been posted.
Homeschool status	A child taught at home with Hope funds uses the Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) pathway. Under state law that is a separate exemption from compulsory attendance (W. Va. Code §18-8-1(m)), not homeschooling under §18-8-1(c), and it comes with its own notice and yearly progress rules.

How the Hope Scholarship works for homeschool families

Since 2026–27, any child eligible for a West Virginia public school can apply, including children who have been homeschooled for years. Each application needs the child's WVEIS student ID number. A child who never attended public school can get one by sending the WVEIS ID Request Form to the county board of education. Parents apply in the Hope Scholarship online portal, using the Board's Application Checklist.

Read the full section in our West Virginia guide

What the money can pay for

The statute lists these qualifying expenses (W. Va. Code §18-31-7). The Board's Parent Handbook adds more detail, along with a Non-Qualifying Expense List and limits on some purchases:

Curriculum, textbooks, workbooks and supplemental materials, including basic school supplies
Tutoring by an individual or tutoring center (not by a member of the student's immediate family)
Educational services and therapies: occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language and audiology
Tuition and fees at a participating private school or microschool, and for nonpublic online programs and alternative education programs
Classes, extracurricular activities and other services from a West Virginia public school or public charter school, which charge tuition to Hope students
Fees for nationally standardized tests, AP exams and college admission exams, plus prep courses for them, and the certified teacher's annual review
Programs and courses leading to an industry-recognized credential, and dual credit or college-level courses
After-school and summer education programs
Technology needed for the educational program, such as computers, printers and required software
Instruments or equipment required for a music course, and fee-for-service transportation to and from an education service provider
Other expenses the Hope Scholarship Board approves, such as educational admissions to museums, science centers and zoos

Read the full section in our West Virginia guide

Before you buy

Apply as early as you can. A student's first-year award is cut to 75%, 50% or 25% for applications submitted after June 15, and after February 28 there is no money for that school year.
Spend inside the portal. Services (other than tuition) are bought in the closed Marketplace, and goods from approved websites through TheoPay. Hope money is never paid to parents.
Reimbursement is the exception. It is allowed only for the purchases named in the Board's Reimbursement Policy, such as off-the-shelf curriculum. Submit requests within 90 days with an itemized invoice and proof of payment. Anything bought before the first deposit reaches your account is not reimbursed.
Check the technology limits. Computers, tablets, monitors, printers, 3D printers, cameras and smartboards can each be bought only once every two calendar years, and multiples of items like headsets and keyboards are denied.
Parents can't pay themselves, and family members can't be paid to tutor. Refunds go back to the student's account, and you can't deposit your own money into it.
Plan for the June 8 progress report. A certified teacher who is not a registered Hope provider can still do the portfolio review, but the account can't pay them.
Amounts, dates and rules change. Confirm anything important on the Hope Scholarship website or with the Hope Engagement Center (681-999-HOPE).

Read the full section in our West Virginia guide

Other West Virginia programs: PROMISE, activities and college courses

PROMISE Scholarship for homeschool graduates: PROMISE pays up to $5,500 a year toward tuition and mandatory fees at an eligible West Virginia college. For the class of 2027, apply and file the FAFSA by March 1, 2027. Homeschooled applicants need at least a 3.0 GPA in the coursework required for graduation, shown on a Grade Verification Form and transcript, plus an ACT composite of 21 or an SAT total of 1080 (superscores are allowed for 2027–28). They also need a letter from the county board of education showing they were registered as homeschoolers in 11th and 12th grade. For Hope students, the letter must say Hope Scholarship IIP. (West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, cfwv.com)

Read the full section in our West Virginia guide

Driver's licenses and special education

Hope Scholarship students: the Hope Scholarship says taking part in the program releases the county school system from its obligation to provide a free appropriate public education, as a parental placement under federal law (20 U.S.C. §1412). WVDE's data guide groups students whose parents enrolled them in private schools, with basic education paid privately or through the Hope Scholarship, under services plans rather than IEPs. Neither source spells out how Hope students learning at home are handled, so ask your county special education director. The Hope Scholarship points families to WVDE Policy 2419 and its procedural safeguards for their rights.

Read the full section in our West Virginia guide

Articles for West Virginia families

How Much Is the Hope Scholarship in 2026-27, and Why Do Later Applicants Get Less?
The full 2026-27 Hope Scholarship award is $5,435.62, paid in four quarterly deposits. Families who apply after June 15 receive 75, 50 or 25 percent of that amount for their first year. Here is how…
Hope Scholarship Goes Universal in 2026-27: How the Five Percent Rule Opened It to Homeschoolers
Until this year, most West Virginia homeschoolers and private school students could not get a Hope Scholarship because the law required recent public school enrollment. A five percent participation…
West Virginia's Hope Scholarship in Plain English: What It Is, Who Runs It and What It Pays
The Hope Scholarship is West Virginia's education savings account. For 2026-27 it is open to every K-12 student who is eligible to enroll in a public school, the full award is $5,435.62, and the…

Official sources

Summarized from our West Virginia guide (as of October 2026) and articles. Rules change — confirm on the official pages before you act.

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