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President Donald Trump speaks to the White House Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible.
by STAFF REPORTS
The projected budget for the Hope Scholarship, which provides funding for private schooling, homeschooling or other education services, has dropped by $70 million for the 2026-27 school year, officials said. (Sinclair Broadcast Group)
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WEST VIRGINIA (WCHS) — The projected budget for the Hope Scholarship, which provides funding for private schooling, homeschooling or other education services, has dropped by $70 million for the 2026-27 school year, officials said.
The maximum Hope Scholarship budget for the next school year has dropped from an estimated $315,013,760 to $244,580,215 due to a decrease in eligible students, according to West Virginia State Treasurer Larry Pack.
“Based on updated traditional homeschool data provided by the West Virginia Department of Education and the current Hope Scholarship participant data, we were able to revise our estimates. The largest contributor is the population of newly eligible students for the 2026-2027 school year dropped from around 54,000 to roughly 43,000,” Pack said in a news release. “The good news is that this will save the state around $70 million.
“Regardless of the expected cost, we look forward to helping our parents and students find the right education that fits their unique needs.”
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 projected scholarship amount for the 2026-27 school year is $5,435.62.
The deadline to apply for 75% of this year’s Hope Scholarship funding amount is Sept. 15. The scholarship is open to all school-age children who reside in the Mountain State beginning in 2026-27.
Pack said the projected budget totals will be further refined in December, if needed.
