My Learning Source West Virginia › Homeschooling in West Virginia › West Virginia Hope Scholarship (ESA) — A Guide for Homeschool Families

West Virginia Hope Scholarship (ESA) — A Guide for Homeschool Families

The Hope Scholarship is West Virginia's education savings account (ESA) program. It puts the state's per-pupil school aid, $5,435.62 for a full 2026–27 award, into an online account for a K–12 student who leaves or skips public school, to spend on approved education costs. Starting with the 2026–27 school year, every child who is eligible to enroll in a West Virginia public school can apply, including children who are already homeschooled or in private school. The program is set out in W. Va. Code §18-31-1 and following. It is governed by the Hope Scholarship Board and run by the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, and families apply and spend through the Hope Scholarship online portal. Applications are taken year-round, but the amount for a student's first year shrinks the later in the year the family applies.

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.

Hope students choose one of two pathways. Students at a participating private school use the participating school pathway. Students taught at home, in a learning pod or at a microschool use the Individualized Instructional Program (IIP), which the law defines as a customized education at home or another location (W. Va. Code §18-31-2(8)). Once the application shows "Eligible" in the portal, the parent sends a Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent to the county superintendent and marks the pathway on it. The account is not funded until that notice is on file. It is a one-time notice, updated only if the family moves, changes pathway or the child's grade changes.

An IIP student is not "homeschooling" under West Virginia law. The Hope Notice of Intent replaces the homeschool notice, and the child is exempt from compulsory attendance under a different subsection (§18-8-1(m) instead of §18-8-1(c)). A family moving from traditional homeschooling to the IIP must also send the county a notice of termination of home instruction. The Board's sample Notice of Intent form has an optional section that does both at once.

Each year an IIP student must show academic progress to the county superintendent by June 8, whatever the grade. There are two options: a nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading, language and math (plus science and social studies when available for the grade), with a mean score in or above the fourth stanine or improvement over the prior year, or a review of the student's work by a certified teacher who finds progress in line with the child's age and ability. The state's own summative test and the ACT are not accepted. Parents also renew the account each year (proof of residency and a new parent agreement) between January 5 and June 15. A student who returns to public school full-time leaves the program, and any money left in the account goes back to the state. (W. Va. Code §18-31-8)

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

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).

For vendors: becoming a Hope Scholarship provider

West Virginia calls approved sellers "education service providers." Tutors, therapists, curriculum and online-course providers, colleges offering dual credit, and sole proprietors can take part, as can private schools and microschools (which use the portal's school module). To join, a provider fills out the New Provider Request Form on the Hope Scholarship website. Board staff create the account, and an invitation to claim it arrives from invitations@theolearning.com. Every provider must accept the Education Service Provider Agreement in the ESP Handbook. Anyone in contact with students needs a criminal background check, even a provider who is the only employee. Private schools also need to be registered with the West Virginia Department of Education.

Families pick a provider's offerings in the portal, and the provider invoices there and is paid by ACH. Tutoring paid by a student's immediate family member is not allowed, and businesses that fill orders by drop-shipping are barred. Refunds must go back to the student's Hope account, never to the parent. Retailers selling goods can also reach families through TheoPay's list of approved websites.

Listing on My Learning Source is separate from Hope Scholarship approval — you don't need one to have the other, and families find you here either way.

Homeschooling in West Virginia: the basics

Compulsory attendance starts with the school year in which a child turns 6 before July 1 and lasts until the 17th birthday. Home instruction is one of the exemptions. (W. Va. Code §18-8-1a, §18-8-1(c))
Notice of intent: when you start homeschooling, give the county superintendent or county board a notice of intent with each school-age child's name, address and age, and an assurance that the child will be taught reading, language, math, science and social studies and assessed every year. If the child is in public school, give the notice on or before the day home instruction begins. It is a one-time notice. You must also notify the county when you stop homeschooling and file a new notice if you move to another county. (§18-8-1(c)(2)(A))
Parent education: the person teaching must submit evidence of a high school diploma or equivalent, or a postsecondary degree or certificate. (§18-8-1(c)(2)(B))
Annual assessment, with four options: a nationally normed standardized achievement test (acceptable progress is a mean in or above the fourth stanine, or improvement over the prior year); the public school testing program, taken at a public school in your county; a portfolio review by a certified teacher, who writes a narrative on progress in the five subjects; or another assessment agreed with the county superintendent. (§18-8-1(c)(2)(C))
Reporting: send the assessment results to the county superintendent only for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, by June 30 of the year of the assessment. Keep each year's assessment for three years. If a child doesn't make acceptable progress, start a remedial program. After a second year without acceptable progress, you must give the superintendent more evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided. (§18-8-1(c)(2)(D)–(E))
The county superintendent must offer available help such as textbooks and teaching materials. With county board approval, a homeschooled child may take any class the county offers, and county vocational schools must admit homeschoolers as capacity allows, at no more than public school students pay. (§18-8-1(c)(3), §18-5-15g)
Learning pods and microschools have their own exemption with similar notice and testing rules, and the law says they are not homeschooling. (§18-8-1(n))

Hope IIP or traditional homeschool: the differences

Money: Hope IIP students get the full award ($5,435.62 for 2026–27) in an education savings account. Traditional homeschoolers get no state funds.
Notice: IIP families file a one-time Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent after the application is marked Eligible. Homeschoolers file a homeschool notice of intent, and a notice of termination when they stop.
Yearly reporting: IIP students report progress every year, in every grade, by June 8 (test or certified-teacher review). Homeschoolers assess every year but report only for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, by June 30, and have four assessment options.
Parent credentials: IIP families don't submit a diploma. Homeschool parents must submit proof of a high school diploma or equivalent.
Public school classes: IIP students can buy part-time public school courses (in-person, virtual or career-technical) with Hope funds, and the school charges tuition. Homeschoolers can attend county classes free with county board approval.
Sports and activities: both can take part at the public school serving their attendance zone under the same rules (see below).
County help: the county must offer homeschoolers available textbooks and materials, but isn't required to help IIP students. (Hope Scholarship Board, "IIP vs. Traditional Homeschool")

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)

Sports and activities: homeschooled, Hope and microschool or learning pod students may join interscholastic athletics and other extracurricular activities at the public secondary school serving their attendance zone. They must show satisfactory academic progress, with average test results in or above the fourth stanine in all subjects. They must also be under 19 on August 1, be amateurs, and follow WVSSAC and county rules. Transfer rules apply, and schools may charge reasonable fees. (W. Va. Code §18-2-25(d)) A 2026 bill to let organized homeschool teams play WVSSAC schools (HB 4062) did not pass.

College courses: homeschool, microschool and learning pod students count as eligible students in the state's dual enrollment pilot. For dual credit courses in designated career pathways, the state pays tuition and academic fees directly to public colleges (W. Va. Code §18B-14-4). Ask the college about admission criteria and which courses qualify. Hope students can also use their accounts for dual credit and college-level courses.

Driver's licenses and special education

Permits and licenses: a teen can get a Level 1 instruction permit at 15, after completing the driving under the influence awareness program. A Level 2 intermediate license requires age 16 and 180 days on the Level 1 permit with no convictions. It also requires either a driver's education course approved by the State Department of Education or 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving, including 10 at night. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult over 21 certifies those hours. Level 1 and Level 2 holders must stay enrolled in school and make satisfactory academic progress, or otherwise comply with §18-8-11. (W. Va. Code §17B-2-3a)

Home-instruction students: the DMV's Driver's Licensing Handbook (revised July 2022) says an applicant under 18 needs a valid School Driver Eligibility Certificate for any driver's license transaction. For a home-schooled student, the parent or legal guardian fills out a Home School Eligibility Statement instead. It says the child is being home schooled in accordance with state law, is making satisfactory academic progress, and meets the conditions to get a permit or license. The handbook prints the statement, with spaces for the parent's name, driver's license or ID card number, signature and date. A teen who has already graduated can show a diploma instead. (WV DMV Handbook)

The parent statement comes from a 2018 law (SB 364). §18-8-11 was amended again in 2022 and now mainly covers restricting the permit or license of a 15- or 16-year-old who withdraws from school or falls behind (W. Va. Code §18-8-11). Call the DMV before your visit to confirm what it currently accepts. The handbook's statement is written for home-schooled students, and we found no official page saying what a Hope Scholarship IIP student should bring. Hope families should ask the DMV or the Hope Engagement Center (681-999-HOPE).

Special education: West Virginia's home instruction law says that, if a parent asks, the county board must explain in writing what help is available to assess a child's eligibility for special education. It also says identifying a disability doesn't stop home schooling. (W. Va. Code §18-8-1(c)(2)(D)) WVDE's 2025 data guide says a homeschooled child referred for an initial evaluation is entered at the public school the child would otherwise attend. If the child is found eligible and the family enrolls the child in public school (for example part-time), services follow that enrollment. Otherwise the child stays recorded as homeschooled. Ask your county special education director what, if anything, it offers a home-instruction student who stays home full time.

Consent: the county needs your consent to evaluate. If the parent of a home-schooled student declines or doesn't respond, the county can't use mediation, a due process hearing or its other consent override procedures. It also doesn't have to consider the student eligible for equitable services. (WVDE Procedural Safeguards, revised August 2024) A student who had an IEP, left for homeschooling and returns to public school must be referred for a new evaluation. WVDE says that process should move faster if recent evaluations exist.

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.

Official sources

My Learning Source is an independent marketplace. We are not affiliated with the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, the Hope Scholarship Board or the Hope Scholarship Program, and a listing here does not mean a vendor is an approved Hope Scholarship education service provider.

As of October 2026.

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