CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Treasurer Larry Pack says there continue to be a record number of students who are part of the Hope Scholarship program.
Pack, who also serve as the chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, gave an update on the school voucher program at Monday’s board meeting.
The Hope program, which is now universal to all students, funded more than 25,000 students for the first quarter of funding that took place on Aug. 13. Those students receive 100 percent funding, roughly $5,435 per student.
Pack said an additional 1,317 new students will likely be funded for the second funding cycle, 75 percent funding ($4,076), that ends Oct. 15.
Meanwhile, Pack said the Hope Scholarship program has already received 300 new applications for the 50 percent funding window ($2,717) that has a Nov. 30 deadline.
There’s also a 25 percent ($1,358) funding window that has a Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 enrollment period.
The current state budget has more than $270 million set aside for Hope this fiscal year.
Pack said students in Hope come from all 55 counties. He said more than half are enrolled in private, charter, parochial or other school options.
“Currently a little over 51 percent of our Hope participants are enrolled in a non-public school, approximately 43 percent are utilizing the IPP Pathway and six percent have not made a selection as yet,” Pack said.
Pack said an overwhelming of Hope students and their families turned in their academic progress reports.
“For the most recent school year that ended, only 2.5 percent of Hope participants did not complete the annual academic progress that amounts to only 370 students,” Pack said.
He credited the Hope staff, state Department of Education and county school board offices for working hard to collect the reports.
“It is a heavy workload and really appreciate the cooperation with them,” Pack said.
The Hope program is turning around provider invoices within a day and reimbursement within three days. More than 8,300 invoices have been paid within six weeks of this school year’s first funding date, Pack said.
Scholarship funds are distributed on a quarterly basis.
New hire and reorganization
Pack announced Kelly Snyder has been hired as Hope’s compliance officer.
“Kelly has extensive experience in government compliance and fraud prevention and we’re really excited and thankful to have him on board,” Pack said.
Pack also announced the Hope Scholarship division in the state Treasurer’s Office is now under the office’s legal division.
“The legal division has worked closely with the Hope Scholarship division since the program’s inception. We think this combined expertise will create a more efficient structure for the program as we continue to expand,” Pack said.