The Hope Scholarship initiative is an education savings account (ESA) initiative that allows parents and families to use the state share of their education money to create an individualized learning experience that is right for them.
Scholarship Amount
The Hope Scholarship amount will vary each year based on the amount of state aid funding per pupil supplied by county boards of education to public school pupils. The scholarship amount for the 2024-2025 school year is $4,921.39, with an estimated increase to $5,267.38 for the 2025-2026 school year.
When to Apply
New applications for the Hope Scholarship Program are accepted from March 1 to June 15 each year, with the opportunity to receive 100% of the scholarship monies. The chart below shows the application periods for new applicants for the 2025-2026 academic year, as well as the grant amounts associated with each.
| Application Window | Funding Amount |
| Mar. 1, 2025 to June 15, 2025 | 100% of Scholarship |
| June 16, 2025 to Sept. 15, 2025 | 75% of Scholarship |
| Sept. 16, 2025 to Nov. 30, 2025 | 50% of Scholarship |
| Dec. 1, 2025 to Feb. 28, 2026 | 25% of Scholarship |
| After Feb. 28, 2026 | No funding for current year but may apply for subsequent school year. |
Eligibility
To qualify for the Hope Scholarship, a student must be a West Virginia resident and be either:
Enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school in West Virginia for at least 45 consecutive calendar days during the current instructional term at the time of application. The student must remain enrolled and attending the public-school program until a decision is reached on the Hope Scholarship application.
Eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten for the year for which they are applying for the Hope Scholarship
Enrolled full-time in a West Virginia public elementary or secondary school for the entire instructional term of the academic year preceding the academic year for which the student is applying to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program.
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