West Virginia Hope Scholarship

Education savings account run by the Hope Scholarship Board.

Last updated October 17, 2026

Official pages: Apply or sign up Handbook What the money can buy Approved vendors

Free during the beta. Record your award, deposits, purchases and receipts, see what each category needs, and print a family record of it. Corral never connects to the program portal, never asks for its password, and never moves money.

Following puts its announced application dates on your My Homeschool page. Email about it is a separate choice.

Homeschool students

Existing traditional homeschool students can apply from 2026-27. A Hope student educated at home uses the Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) pathway, which is a separate legal exemption from compulsory attendance (Exemption m) from traditional homeschool (Exemption c). The family files a Hope Notice of Intent with the county superintendent, files a notice of termination of the homeschool NOI, and reports academic progress by June 8 each year (standardized test or certified-teacher review). [S2]

Who can apply

• West Virginia resident, remaining a resident while participating [S1]
• Enrolled, eligible to be enrolled, or required to be enrolled in a WV public elementary, secondary or kindergarten program at the time of application (incoming kindergartners must be 5 before July 1 unless admitted through a public early-entrance process) [S3]
• Has not completed secondary education and is under 21 [S3]
• Cannot stay enrolled full-time in public school while receiving the scholarship (part-time public school services can be purchased) [S2]

How much

For the 2026-2027 school year, the full Hope Scholarship award amount is $5,435.62 (equal to the statewide average per-pupil public school funding from the previous year). New applications after June 15 are prorated: 75% (June 16-Sept 15), 50% (Sept 16-Nov 30), 25% (Dec 1, 2026-Feb 28, 2027).

How it's paid: Quarterly from 2026-27: one fourth placed in accounts by Aug 15, Oct 15, Jan 15 and Apr 15. An account is not funded without an active Hope NOI on file (W. Va. CSR 112-18-3.4).

Left over at year end: Remaining funds roll over to the next school year if the student stays eligible and the continued participation confirmation is submitted by June 15

Dates

Spending

Almost all spending is paid from the student’s Hope account inside the portal (school tuition, the services Marketplace, and TheoPay for goods from approved websites). Parents can be reimbursed only in the nine cases the Board’s Reimbursement Policy lists, chiefly off-the-shelf curriculum and books, test kits and exam fees, library memberships, digital curriculum subscriptions, benchmark assessments and dual credit; requests are due within 90 days of purchase. [S7]

How Corral reads each kind of purchase for this program. These are starting points from the program’s own lists, not decisions: the program approves or denies each purchase.

Allowed, as the program lists it

• Curriculum (a complete course of study for a content area or grade level, with its required supplemental materials) and tuition and fees for programs of study, curriculum or supplemental materials in reading, language, mathematics, science, social studies or the arts. [S4]
• Basic educational supplies such as paper, writing utensils and scissors; building blocks and kits (LEGO only from LEGO Education); vocational supplies or equipment required for a K-12 course of study. [S4]
• Tuition and fees at a participating school or microschool, for nonpublic online learning programs, alternative education programs, industry-credential programs, and part-time classes or extracurriculars bought from a WV public school (including public charter) or an out-of-state public school. [S4]
• Tuition, fees and materials for dual credit or college-level courses. [S4]
• Tutoring by an individual or a tutoring facility, not by a member of the student’s immediate family. [S9]
• Fees for nationally standardized assessments, AP exams, aptitude testing, college-admission exams and prep courses for them; ASVAB prep courses; certified teacher annual reviews of the student’s academic work. [S4]
• Educational services and therapies, including occupational, behavioral, physical, speech-language and audiology therapies; assistive technology or other equipment needed to accommodate a student with a disability (including rental). [S4]
• Technology equipment needed for an educational program (computers, printers, smartboards, required software) and portable DVD/CD players for educational purposes, subject to the Board’s repeat-purchase and price limits. [S4]
• Fees paid to an approved fee-for-service transportation provider for travel to and from an education service provider. [S4]
• Fees for general or special event admission to museums, art centers, science centers, agricultural centers, geological locations and zoos for educational purposes. [S4]
• Fees for after-school or summer education programs; instruments or equipment required for a music education course or curriculum; individual library membership fees. [S4]

Not allowed

• Paying a parent for providing educational services to their own child; tutoring by an immediate family member. [S4]
• Home internet service; televisions; telephones; TV and entertainment streaming services. [S8]
• Travel, transportation, parking, food and lodging costs of field trips or other off-site learning; theme, amusement or water park and movie theater admissions; arcade visits. [S8]
• Transportation expenses a parent incurs directly (for example gasoline or diesel). [S8]
• Household furniture (specialized seating for students with disabilities is allowed), appliances, cookware, clothing other than a required school uniform or a sensory compression/weighted vest, shoes, jewelry, gift cards, groceries/food (narrow exceptions), medications and supplements. [S8]
• Game consoles and home theater equipment, virtual reality equipment, smart or fitness watches, refurbished or used technology equipment. [S8]
• Travel sports, sports uniforms, performance costumes, ski rentals and lift tickets, trampolines, bikes and helmets, pool and ping pong tables. [S8]
• Live animals (except insect kits), pet supplies, livestock equipment, hunting and fishing licenses, weapons and ammunition. [S8]
• Toys other than puzzles, molding clay, kinetic sand, educational board games or toys a physician or therapist recommends for a student with a disability. [S8]
• Professional development or conferences for parents, and consulting or training given to a parent or other person. [S8]
• Excessive quantities of allowable items and items not age-appropriate for the student; family and lifetime memberships (narrow exceptions for digital curriculum). [S8]
• Purchases from drop-shipping suppliers through the portal [S2]
• Pre-K instruction. [S16]

Category limits

• Desktops, laptops, tablets/readers, monitors, portable DVD/CD players, printers, 3D printers and scanners, cameras and camera accessories, smartboards, and headphones over $200: each type can be bought again only after two calendar years since the last purchase. Headsets/earbuds, stylus/pointer devices and keyboards: one per order. [S5]
• Cameras and camera accessories over $500 and 3D scanners over $500 are not allowed. [S8]
• Headphones over $100 are not allowed for students in fifth grade or lower. [S8]
• Arts and crafts supplies and equipment over $500 are not allowed (the list does not say whether per item or in total). [S8]
• Laminating machines over $300 are not allowed. [S8]
• Exercise equipment and athletic equipment over $500 are not allowed. [S8]
• Musical instruments or equipment over $1,000: Board staff may require proof of the music course or curriculum before approving the purchase. [S4]
• Other price ceilings on the list: beekeeping suits $200, gardening equipment $200 in total per type of item, composters $150, chicken brooders/coops $400, bird feeders $200, two-way radios $100. Any purchase can be denied as an excessive or unreasonable cost. [S17]

Receipts and records

Most purchases are made in the portal (tuition through the school, services in the closed Marketplace, goods through TheoPay, where the Hope fulfillment team places the order). For an authorized reimbursement, the request is made in the portal within 90 days of purchase with official, detailed, itemized receipts or invoices showing the student’s name, each qualifying expense and its amount, the amount paid and payment dates; a bank statement alone is not enough. Account holders must submit to audits and provide records on request. Annual academic progress is due to the county by June 8.

Approval before buying

Purchases go through the portal and are reviewed there (TheoPay carts are checked item by item and the order is placed by the Hope fulfillment team). Expenses not on the qualifying list need Board approval through the Qualifying Expense Request Form. Music instruments or equipment over $1,000 may need proof of the course first.

Vendors

Participating schools, education service providers and vendors in the Hope portal, plus TheoPay-enabled websites. Reimbursement only in the nine circumstances in the Board’s Reimbursement Policy (mainly off-the-shelf curriculum and books, standardized test kits, ACT/SAT/CLT/AP exam fees, library memberships, digital curriculum subscriptions without live instruction, benchmark assessments, dual credit/college tuition and fees, and disability or platform-error cases). Items bought before funds were in the account are not reimbursed.

Four separate questions: is the vendor approved by the program, is the kind of purchase allowed, does this item meet the program’s conditions, and did the program approve the claim. A yes to one is not a yes to the others.

Family members as vendors

Parents may not use Hope funds to pay themselves for educating their children, and tutoring may not be provided by an immediate family member (defined broadly: parents, grandparents, siblings, step-relatives, first cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws and their spouses).

Links

• Apply or join the interest list (app.hopescholarshipwv.com)
• Handbook (hopescholarshipwv.gov)
• What you can buy (hopescholarshipwv.gov)
• Approved vendors (hopescholarshipwv.gov)
• Help: Hope Engagement Center 681-999-HOPE (4673), [email protected]; Board staff 304-340-5058, [email protected]

Questions to ask the program

The official sources don’t settle these. Ask the Hope Scholarship Board before you count on them:

• If I apply now, will my child get 50% of the award for 2026-27, and when would the first deposit arrive? The first-year amount drops to 25% for applications after November 30, 2026.
• How much of the $5,435.62 award will actually be deposited after the Board's administrative share? The handbook says up to 5% of the award may be kept to run the program.
• Can my home-educated child use Hope funds for microschool or private school tuition and still be counted as home-educated? The handbook doesn't say whether connecting a school changes your child's pathway.
• Can Hope funds pay for sports, dance or music lessons from a private instructor? These lessons are not named on either the allowed or the not-allowed list.
• Is the $500 limit on arts-and-crafts supplies and equipment per item or a total for the year? The non-qualifying expense list doesn't say.
• Which out-of-pocket purchases can be reimbursed, and how soon after buying must I submit them? Reimbursement is limited to specific cases and each claim is due within 90 days of purchase.

Sources

1. [S1] Hope Scholarship home page (WV State Treasurer's Office) · Who can participate; 2026-2027 School Year · checked October 9, 2026
2. [S2] Hope Scholarship FAQ · Notice of Intent · checked October 6, 2026
3. [S3] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Hope Scholarship Account Funding - Award Amount (p.12) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
4. [S4] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Qualifying Expenses with Hope Scholarship Funds (pp.14-16) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
5. [S5] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Transactions Using Hope Scholarship Funds - Purchases (pp.17-18) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
6. [S6] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Transactions Using Hope Scholarship Funds - Reimbursements (pp.19-20) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
7. [S7] Hope Scholarship Reimbursement Policy (Hope Scholarship Board) · Extenuating circumstances 1-9; grounds for denial · adopted December 10, 2025 · checked October 6, 2026
8. [S8] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Non-Qualifying (Unallowable) Expense List · Full list · adopted June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
9. [S9] W. Va. Code §18-31-7, Qualifying expenses for Hope Scholarship accounts · §18-31-7(a)-(e) · checked October 6, 2026
10. [S10] Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) vs. Traditional Homeschool (WVSTO flyer) · Definition; Attending Public School Courses · form code WVSTO_HOPE_012026 · checked October 6, 2026
11. [S11] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Hope Scholarship Account Funding - Award Distribution (p.13) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
12. [S12] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Appendix A - Definitions (p.23) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 6, 2026
13. [S13] West Virginia Hope Scholarship (home page) · Application timeline · checked October 6, 2026
14. [S14] Hope Scholarship FAQ · Funding · checked October 6, 2026
15. [S15] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Applying for the Hope Scholarship Program - New Applications (p.5) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 9, 2026
16. [S16] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook · Qualifying Expenses with Hope Scholarship Funds (p.14) · dated June 25, 2026 · checked October 9, 2026
17. [S17] West Virginia Hope Scholarship Non-Qualifying (Unallowable) Expense List · Gardening-related equipment · adopted June 25, 2026 · checked October 9, 2026

Last updated October 17, 2026 · rule version 5 · next check by November 20, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.