In an elementary school classroom in Kanawha County, West Virginia. (Photo by Lexi Browning/West Virginia Watch)
More than 26,000 students have applied for full funding for the program Hope Scholarship for the upcoming school year, which has cost the state of West Virginia an estimated $155 million to date.
The estimated cost of the education voucher program will continue to boost throughout the year as applications are received for lower grant amounts. This first round of applicants will receive $5,435.62, which can be used for private school tuition, homeschooling, tutoring services, horseback riding lessons, laptops, etc other qualifying expenses.
Legislature recently assigned $277 million for the Hope Scholarship to support all students using the program during the 2026-27 school year. The program is available to all K-12 students for the first time since its launch in 2021.
State Treasurer Larry Pack, who serves as chair of the Hope Scholarship Committee, said Monday, “We are thrilled to welcome thousands of new families to the Hope Scholarship Program.”
“The fact that the number of participants in the Education Savings Account has almost doubled is a true indicator of the impact and popularity of the program,” Pack said in a press release. “Now our team is focused on helping these students get the resources they need to tailor their education to their individual needs. Our goal is for West Virginia to continue to lead the nation in educational innovation as we continue to develop the program.”
Pack said 26,617 Students have applied for full funding Hope scholarship for the coming school year. In the 2025/26 school year, around 15,000 students used the Hope scholarship.
Earlier this year, some Republicans sat with Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives floating ideas to potentially reduce the Hope Scholarship’s price boost from last year’s $100 million funding level. One proposal would have banned the exploit of Hope scholarship funds Schools out of state.
None of the proposed measures made it to the House or Senate for a full vote before lawmakers adjourned the session indefinitely in March.
The Hope Scholarship amount per student is based on the amount of state funding per student made available to county school boards for public school students.
The overall expansion of the program this year will allow existing private school and established homeschool students who were previously ineligible for the program to participate, according to the state treasurer’s office.
Registration for the Hope Scholarship continues and will now provide students with a reduced amount for the upcoming school year. Students who apply from June 16 to September 15 will receive 75% of the annual stipend amount of the Hope Scholarship.
