From the Office of West Virginia State Treasurer, Riley Moore
Welcome to the West Virginia Hope Scholarship Program!
Hope Scholarship is the state’s education savings account program that gives parents an opportunity to build an individual learning experience that works best for their child. The scholarship allows K-12 students to receive financial assistance that can be used for tuition, fees and other expenses.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION for the 2023-24 academic year!
Mar. 1, 2023 — Application period opens for NEW Hope Scholarship students for the 2023-24 academic year. To qualify, a student must be a West Virginia resident and be one of the following:
- Eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten for the 2023-24 school year
- Enrolled full-time in public elementary or secondary school in West Virginia for an entire instructional term of the 2022-23 academic year
- 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.
Note: Please enter the grade level that your child will be in for the 23-24 school year on your application in the EMA portal.
If you entered the current year grade level in error, please email the EMA Service Center at wvhope@emaportal.org with your student’s name, student ID#, and the correct grade level for the 23-24 school year. The application processors at EMA will make the requested correction to the application.
The deadline to apply for the 23-24 school year is May 15, 2023
Notices for Current Hope Scholarship Students
Students who were awarded the Hope Scholarship for 2022-23 school year must renew their applications annually to receive the Hope Scholarship. The renewal application period for the 23-24 school year is expected to open up in late February 2023. Please note that existing Hope Scholarship students do not have to re-enroll in public school to receive the scholarship for future years but must annually submit all required private school enrollment or individualized instructional plan academic progress information to their county board of education by June 8th. Check back here for more updates.
Distributions for the 2022-23 academic year are currently underway. If a family has questions about a current academic year distribution, please email Hope Scholarship staff at hopescholarshipwv@wvsto.com.
Hope Scholarship students that have been awarded the scholarship, please utilize the link below to access your Hope account:
Click here to login
Hope Scholarship Application Request Form
IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO APPLY FOR THE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM:
- Parents/guardians must complete a letter of intent to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program. You are responsible for sending it to the county superintendent in your county of residence. CLICK HERE for a sample Notice of Intent letter that may be used. For incoming kindergarten students who do not yet have a WVEIS ID#, please mark “Incoming Kindergarten Student” in WVEIS ID# field. This will help county boards of education assign WVEIS ID#s to such students. Please note that the Notice of Intent to Participate in the Hope Scholarship Program is different from the traditional Notice of Intent to Homeschool. It is important to utilize the correct Notice of Intent language depending on which educational choice you are making for your child. See our Hope Scholarship FAQs for additional clarification regarding this issue.
- You must create an account through the Education Market Assistant (EMA) portal before applying.
- You will need your child’s WVEIS ID#. This is assigned by your County Board of Education. (For incoming kindergarten students, assignment of the WVEIS ID# will generally be triggered by submission of your Notice of Intent letter. See above for more information.)
- For helpful tips regarding the Hope Scholarship application process, CLICK HERE.
- For access to the Hope Scholarship Parent Handbook for the 2022-23 School year, CLICK HERE.
- For a video tutorial regarding the Hope Scholarship application process, CLICK HERE.
The Hope Scholarship Program is mandated by W.Va. State Code §18-31-1 et seq. and operating under the administrative law rule W.Va. Code St. R. 112-18-1 et seq. It was created by the W.Va. State Legislature in 2021 and is administered by the West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board with staffing provided by the State Treasurer’s Office. Account processing and administration is contracted through a third-party vendor.
Scholarship Application Request Form
