FAQs

The Hope Scholarship Board is closed to new applications for the 2023-24 school year. The last day to apply was February 29, 2024. If you are interested in participating in the Hope Scholarship Program, please apply for the 2024-25 school year directly in the EMA portal.
The application window for renewal applicants for 2024-25 will be open from January 3, 2024 to June 15, 2024. For new applicants, the Hope Scholarship Board will accept applications year-round, but the timing of submission of the original application for the program will determine the amount of the Hope Scholarship received for the student’s initial year of participation in the program. The application windows for 2024-25 and the corresponding funding amounts are outlined in the Timeline below:

The Hope Scholarship amount will vary annually depending on the amount of state aid funding per pupil provided to county boards of education for public school students. The scholarship amount for the 2023-24 year will be $4,488.82. The scholarship amount for the 2024-25 school year will be $4,921.39.

To qualify for the Hope Scholarship, a student must be a West Virginia resident and be either:

• 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.
• 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. 

If a student is currently enrolled in a private school or was enrolled full time in a private school the previous academic year, the student is not eligible to apply as a new applicant for the Hope Scholarship Program.  However, the student could become eligible by enrolling full time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days at the time of application. The student must remain enrolled and attending the public school until a decision letter is issued regarding participation in the program, which could take up to an additional 45 calendar days.

A child cannot remain enrolled full-time in a public elementary or secondary school program and receive the Hope Scholarship at the same time. If a child is accepted into the Hope Scholarship Program, they can no longer be enrolled full-time in West Virginia public school.  A child can, however, utilize their scholarship funds to purchase part-time services from a West Virginia public school.