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West Virginia Hope for homeschool families

Education savings account · West Virginia · 2026-27 · checked Oct 12, 2026 against 6 sources · General information, not legal or financial advice.

Your West Virginia Hope to-do

  1. Enroll in the program's own category
    From 2026-27 every child who could enroll in a West Virginia public school (K-12) can apply, including children already homeschooled. A home-educated Hope student is on the Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) pathway: the parent files a Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent (marked IIP) with the county instead of the homeschool notice, and sends the county a notice of termination of traditional homeschooling (the Hope NOI form has an optional section for this). Legally the child is then a Hope student, not a traditional homeschooler.
  2. Apply for 2026-27
    Applications are taken year-round; for 2026-27 the window decides the first-year amount: Mar 2 - Jun 15, 2026 = 100%, Jun 16 - Sep 15 = 75%, Sep 16 - Nov 30 = 50%, Dec 1, 2026 - Feb 28, 2027 = 25%.
  3. File the Hope Notice of Intent with the county
    Once the application is "Eligible"; one time only (resend if you move, change pathway or grade). It must be on file by Aug 1, Oct 1, Jan 2 or Apr 1 to get that quarter's deposit.
  4. Send test scores or the teacher review to the county
    By June 8 each year.
  5. Continued Participation Confirmation for next year
    Jan 5 - Jun 15 (2026 for the 2026-27 year). Late confirmations are not accepted.
  6. Submit a reimbursement request
    Within 90 days of purchase; appeal a denial within 45 days.

Print the receipt checklist

What a valid West Virginia Hope receipt shows, and a log to fill in.

What West Virginia Hope says

Hope Scholarship, run by West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board (West Virginia State Treasurer's Office).

Homeschoolers
Only by enrolling in the program's own category
From 2026-27 every child who could enroll in a West Virginia public school (K-12) can apply, including children already homeschooled. A home-educated Hope student is on the Individualized Instructional Program (IIP) pathway: the parent files a Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent (marked IIP) with the county instead of the homeschool notice, and sends the county a notice of termination of traditional homeschooling (the Hope NOI form has an optional section for this). Legally the child is then a Hope student, not a traditional homeschooler.
Amount
WhoGradesPer year
Full award (applied Mar 2 - Jun 15, 2026, or continuing student)K-12$5,436
2026-27. Equal to the statewide average state aid per public school pupil in the previous year, so it changes every year. Paid in four parts by Aug 15, Oct 15, Jan 15 and Apr 15 (about $1,358.91 each).
75% (new application Jun 16 - Sep 15, 2026)K-12$4,077
2026-27, first year only.
50% (new application Sep 16 - Nov 30, 2026)K-12$2,718
2026-27, first year only.
25% (new application Dec 1, 2026 - Feb 28, 2027)K-12$1,359
2026-27, first year only. No 2026-27 funding for applications after Feb 28, 2027.
What you can spend on
  • Ongoing services provided by a public school district, including individual classes and extracurricular activities and programs
  • Private or parochial school tuition and fees at a participating school
  • Tutoring services provided by an individual or a tutoring facility (not by a member of the student's immediate family)
  • Fees for nationally standardized assessments, advanced placement examinations, aptitude testing, college admission examinations, and preparatory courses for them
  • Tuition and fees for programs of study or courses that lead to an industry-recognized credential
  • Tuition and fees for nonpublic online learning programs
  • Tuition and fees for alternative education programs
  • Fees for after-school or summer education programs
  • Educational services and therapies
  • Tuition and fees for programs of study, curriculum, or supplemental materials in reading, language, mathematics, science, social studies, or the arts
  • Fees for an approved fee-for-service transportation provider to and from an education service provider
  • Tuition, fees, and materials for dual credit or college level courses
  • School uniforms required by a participating school
  • Basic educational supplies
  • Curriculum or supplies for supplemental or elective educational courses
  • Technology equipment needed for an educational program
  • Assistive technology or equipment for a student with a disability
  • Vocational supplies or equipment required for a K-12 course of study
  • Tuition and fees at a microschool
  • Certified teacher annual reviews of a student's academic work
  • Payments to out-of-state public schools for tuition and fees
  • Admission to museums, art centers, science centers, agricultural centers, geological locations, and zoos for educational purposes
  • Individual library membership fees
  • Instruments or equipment required for a music education course or curriculum
  • Any other qualifying expense approved by the Hope Scholarship Board
What a receipt must show
  • Most purchases are made in the Hope portal (providers, schools, TheoPay), so no receipt is needed; out-of-pocket purchases are reimbursed only in the cases in the Board's Reimbursement Policy (mainly off-the-shelf curriculum, nationally normed test kits, ACT/SAT/CLT/AP exams, library memberships, digital curriculum subscriptions without live instruction, benchmark assessments, dual credit tuition)
  • Official documentation or receipts from the provider showing the student's name, each qualifying expense and its amount, the amount paid and the payment dates
  • Detailed, itemized receipts or invoices; a bank statement alone is not enough
  • Proof of payment of the invoice, such as a zero-balance receipt
  • Submitted in the Hope portal within 90 days of purchase
  • Not reimbursed: items bought before the student's Hope funds were available, or expenses paid by someone other than the account holder
Where you submit
Hope Scholarship online portal with TheoPay · site
Both direct pay and reimbursement
Learning plan
Not verified yet
Testing
Yes. IIP students, every year in all grades, by June 8: either a nationally normed standardized achievement test in reading, language and mathematics (plus science and social studies when available for the grade), with the mean result within or above the fourth stanine or improved from the year before, official scores sent to the county superintendent; or a certified teacher's review of the student's academic work certifying progress commensurate with age and ability (Hope's sample Academic Review Form, or another form with the statutory language). Students at a participating school: the school sends attendance instead. Missing it stops funding and can close the account.
Renewal
Yearly Continued Participation Confirmation in the portal by June 15, with proof of West Virginia residency, plus the June 8 academic progress report. Unused funds roll over while the student stays eligible. If the confirmation is missed, the account closes, remaining funds go back to the State, and the student must apply again as a new student.
2026-27 changes: eligibility became universal (existing private school and traditional homeschool students may join), funding moved from two deposits (Aug 15, Jan 15) to four quarterly deposits, and a new Reimbursement Policy was adopted on December 10, 2025.
TheoPay Fulfillment: the Hope team places orders from approved websites and ships to the home. TheoPay Self-Serve: a one-time virtual card for carts of $75 or less.
Parents may not pay themselves for teaching their own children, and refunds must go back into the student's Hope account.
When participation ends, the Board gives 45 calendar days' notice before closing the account; remaining funds return to the State.
Hope funds are not West Virginia taxable income, except money spent on fee-for-service transportation.

Sources

General information, not legal or financial advice. Programs change their rules every year; check with West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board (West Virginia State Treasurer's Office) before you spend. If something looks wrong, tell us.

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