More than 20,000 WV students apply for Hope Scholarship voucher after eligibility expands

More than 20,000 West Virginia students have applied for the Hope Scholarship, the state’s education voucher program, for the next school year. That’s an boost from the 15,000 students currently using the program to fund homeschooling, private school tuition, tutoring services, qualifying athletics and more.

Applications for the Hope Scholarship are now available to all K-12 students for the first time since the program launched in 2021.

The program is narrow to incoming kindergarten or public school students enrolled for at least 45 days in the current school year.

“It is clear that parents are utilizing additional options in our education system to find the best fit for their child’s individual needs,” State Treasurer Larry Pack said in a news release Monday. “It’s exciting to see the exponential growth year after year and more and more families taking advantage of the Hope Scholarship Program. I would like to thank my team for working tirelessly to process these applications as we continue to receive more applications in the coming weeks.”

The Hope Scholarship currently offers approximately $5,200 per student.

The scholarship amount is expected to be $5,435.62 for the 2026-2027 school year when the program opens to general eligibility. The Hope Scholarship amount is based on the amount of per-pupil state funding made available to county school boards for public school students.

Lawmakers recently allocated funds to fully fund the program and massively boost its legality almost 300 million dollars in the state budget for the Hope Scholarship. This is an boost of more than 400% over current funding levels.

Republican members of the House Finance Committee is considering introducing restrictions on how the Hope Scholarship might be spent — such as banning its operate at out-of-state schools and for tutoring services — to lower the price. This measure was ultimately sidelined before lawmakers adjourned last month.

Of the 20,000 Hope Scholarship applications for the 2026-27 school year, more than 11,800 are repeat recipients. According to the state treasurer’s office, more than 8,100 novel students have applied for the program.

The application deadline for novel students wishing to receive full Hope Scholarship funding for the 2026-2027 academic year is June 15.