Today, State Treasurer Riley Moore announced that the Hope Scholarship Program has met the threshold established by the Legislature to expand the program to all West Virginia school-aged children starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Until now, only students leaving the public school system have been eligible for the program. With this expansion, all students including those in nonpublic schools are eligible.
“This expansion will empower tens of thousands of additional families to benefit from the Hope Scholarship,” said Tiffany Barfield, government affairs director, yes. every kid. “This expansion cements West Virginia’s position as a leader in the education freedom movement, as every kid will have the opportunity to pursue an education that fits their individual needs. The goal of the Hope Scholarship was to place families in the driver’s seat of their children’s education, and now every single family will officially be empowered with that authority.”
Background:
- The Hope Scholarship passed the Legislature in 2021 and was originally made available only to West Virginia students who were either entering kindergarten or enrolled in public school for a qualifying period of time.
- The treasurer’s office estimates an additional 30,000 – 40,000 students will be eligible in the 2026-27 school year.
- The Hope Scholarship provides financial support for those educating their children outside the public school setting. The scholarship amount varies, depending on the amount of state aid funding per pupil. The scholarship amount for the 2024-25 school year will be $4,921.39.
###