A month after its application deadline, State Treasurer Larry Pack reports close to 15,000 students will receive full educational funding for the 2025-2026 academic year through the Hope Scholarship program.
With a full scholarship amount expected to be more than $5,200 for the upcoming year, the current enrollment numbers represent close to $80 million in state spending on school choice. For the previous year, 10,750 students received some level of funding. The Hope Scholarship board reported that as of Feb. 26, the Hope Scholarship has distributed close to $34 million for the current academic year.
Applications are still being accepted for prorated scholarships, and it is anticipated that approximately 19,000 West Virginia students will participate in the 2025-2026 Hope Scholarship program. Applications accepted by Sept. 15 will receive 75% of the annual award amount, dropping to as low as 25% of the annual award amount for applications accepted by Feb. 28.
Currently students must be enrolled and attending a public elementary or secondary school to qualify for the Hope Scholarship, but the program will go fully universal and open to all students in the 2026-2027 school year.
The Hope Scholarship program received a total of $120 million in appropriations from the state legislature this year. $96,013,384 came from two supplementals, HB 3356 and HB 3357, as well as $24,610,523 within the budget bill.
