CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Treasurer and chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board Larry Pack announced Tuesday that close to 15,000 students in West Virginia will receive full funding for the Hope Scholarship during the 2025-2026 academic year.
That number is up roughly 4,000 students from the 2024-2025 academic year.
Pack, in a statement, said he’s happy about the growth.
“It is tremendous that we continue to see exponential growth year after year with more parents taking full advantage of the Hope Scholarship program. We believe this growth will continue as the program goes fully universal in the 2026-2027 school year,” Pack said. “My Office stands by to ensure we meet the needs of those families by running an efficient program. At the end of the day, this is all about empowering parents and students to find the education that fits their unique needs.”
The Hope Scholarship gives financial support to families that want to pursue educational options for their children outside the public school system. Starting in 2026-2027, the Hope Scholarship will be available for all children of age in the state. Officials project a $190 million increase in the base build from the Hope Scholarship.
Senate Education Committee Chair Amy Nichole Grady, in a statement given to MetroNews, said the uncertainty of future costs is concerning.
“I’ve always supported parents being able to use the Hope Scholarship for their child’s education, but I am concerned about the increasing costs of the program,” Grady said.
Grady also said she originally favored a phasing in of the program by grades.
The scholarship amount for the 2025-2026 school year is $5,267.38.