West Virginia approves 5,000 Hope Scholarship ESA applications

(The Center Square) – West Virginia received 6,300 applications for its Hope Scholarship educational savings accounts for next school year and approved 5,047 at a cost of $22 million as of a Monday meeting, according to the Parkersburg News and Sentinel.

The program, which had a May 15 application deadline, will award $4,488 to students this year with the first portion of funds being sent Aug. 15 and the second portion Jan. 15.

As of the May deadline, the Hope Scholarship office had already approved 3,698 of the scholarships for the school year.

“We have seen a surge of interest in the Hope Scholarship this year,” West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore said in a statement. “That tells me West Virginia families have a strong interest in educational freedom and school-choice options, and our office has been proud to help empower them to pursue the educational opportunities they believe will work best for their children.”

West Virginia received 3,200 applications for the 2022-23 school year before a court injunction halted the program. It was opened again in October after a ruling from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and 2,200 students ended up using the scholarships.

“I’m encouraged to see such rapid growth of interest in this program,” Moore said. “That tells me that parents are getting more involved in their children’s education and doing everything they can to find the educational path that will work best for their child’s future.”

The education savings accounts, available for kindergarten through 12th grade, are expected to all be reviewed before July 1.