Families Must Apply by June 15 to Receive 100% Full-Year Award Amount of $4,921.39
State Treasurer Riley Moore, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, today announced applications for new students to apply for the Hope Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year, which begins this fall, will be available online beginning Friday, March 1.
“We’ve seen tremendous interest and participation in the Hope Scholarship over the past school year, and we’re excited to start the application process for new students for the upcoming year,” Treasurer Moore said. “This will be the first full academic year to feature our year-round application and prorated funding model, which will offer greater access and flexibility for the program and the families who choose to participate in it.”
Applications are available online at www.HopeScholarshipWV.com.
Last year, the Board received more than 6,300 applications during the initial enrollment period. In December, Board members approved a new year-round application model that begins with the 2024-2025 school year which will allow families to apply for the program throughout the school year featuring prorated scholarship award amounts depending on when they apply.
Under this new timetable, a student application submitted within the following dates will receive the associated level of Hope Scholarship funding:
- March 1-June 15: 100% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- June 16-Sept. 15: 75% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- Sept. 16-Nov. 30: 50% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
- Dec. 1-Feb. 28: 25% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
“This new funding model will give families more time to decide which education pathway works best for their child, while also giving them more flexibility in case they decide to go in a different direction during the school year,” Treasurer Moore said. “If you want to receive the full scholarship amount for next year, we do need to encourage you to submit the application by June 15 so that it can be reviewed and approved in enough time to meet the statutory August 15 deadline for us to deposit funds into your account.”
Existing Hope Scholarship students are required to reapply each year, and the renewal application period for those students began in January. The deadline for existing Hope Scholarship students to submit renewal applications is also June 15.
The Hope Scholarship award amount varies each school year 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 2024-25 school year will be $4,921.39.
The Hope Scholarship Program is an education savings account program available for kindergarten through 12th grade students. It is designed to allow parents and families to receive an amount equal to the state portion of their child’s education funding to tailor an individualized learning experience that works best for their child.
To qualify for the Hope Scholarship, a student must be a West Virginia resident and be either:
- Eligible to be enrolled in a kindergarten program.
- Enrolled full-time in a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for the entire instructional term during the current academic year (2023-2024) immediately preceding the academic year for which the student is applying to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program.
- Or, enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days during an instructional term at the time of application and remain enrolled and attending public school until a decision is reached on the student’s Hope Scholarship application.
In addition to filling out the application, state law also requires participating families to fill out a notice of intent to participate in the program with their local county superintendent. A sample template for that notice is also available online at the program’s website.
Families are reminded to notify the Hope Scholarship Board via email at hopescholarshipwv@wvsto.gov if they are awarded the Hope Scholarship for 2024-2025 but ultimately decide to remain in public school.
For more information on the Hope Scholarship, visit www.HopeScholarshipWV.com.