Last month, West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship Board approved several changes to how families interact with the state’s education freedom lifeline. State Treasurer Riley Moore, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, put forward the rule changes to make it more flexible for families.
Hope Scholarship empowers every family in West Virginia with an amount that varies by school year — about $4,500 for the 2023-24 school year — to tailor their kids’ education to meet their unique needs.
The Board’s recent rule changes replace the previous application period with a year-round application process. Previously, families could only apply from March 1 to May 15, unless they could justify an extension. For the 2024-25 school year, the Board will award prorated scholarship amounts for a student’s initial year in the program based on when their family submits their application over the course of the year.
In its latest rule adoption, the Board also expanded the list of qualified education expenses under the program to include lunch during the school day, field trips, and a test-prep program for students looking to enlist in the military.
Whitney Marsh, director of policy operations at yes. every kid. foundation, applauded the Hope Scholarship Board for these changes: “These improvements make the program more accessible and responsive to family needs. Kudos to the Board for enhancing the impact of the Hope Scholarship!”
So far, the Board has awarded more than 6,024 West Virginia students a Hope Scholarship for the next school year, more than double that of last year.
