State Treasurer Riley Moore, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, today announced Board members have approved a policy that will allow children of military service members who are required to temporarily relocate to another state remain Hope Scholarship eligible when they return to West Virginia.

“A temporary relocation pursuant to military orders should not jeopardize a child’s ability to participate in the Hope Scholarship Program,” Treasurer Moore said. “I am thrilled to enact this change immediately to offer greater access and flexibility for the program, and our West Virginia military families who choose to participate in it.”

Hope Scholarship applicants are required to provide documentation demonstrating proof of West Virginia residency prior to the award of any student, according to the Board’s legislative rules. Families must maintain West Virginia as their primary state of legal residency, comply with all program rules and requirements, and certify that they will not participate in any full-time public school program.

The policy applies to both families that are required to temporarily relocate to another state pursuant to military orders and wish to participate in the Hope Scholarship during their relocation or upon return from their relocation. The Military Service Member Eligibility Policy can be found here.

Treasurer Moore announced in July that the Hope Scholarship Program met state law requirements for opening up to all school-age children residing in West Virginia beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Hope Scholarship Act, passed by the Legislature in 2021, requires the Board to provide funds to Hope Scholarship students twice a year, with the first half of funds for an academic year provided by Aug. 15 and the remaining half provided by Jan. 15. Funds must be prorated for students participating for less than a full year. 

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 award amount for the 2024-25 year was $4,921.39.

The Hope Scholarship Program is an education savings account program available for kindergarten through 12th grade students. It is designed to allow parents and families to receive an amount equal to the state portion of their child’s education funding to tailor an individualized learning experience that works best for their child.

More information on the program is available at www.hopescholarshipwv.com.