Hope Scholarship in West Virginia for Kinship Caregivers

West Virginia's Hope Scholarship gives families an education savings account (ESA) to use for private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum materials, and other approved educational expenses. If you're a grandparent or relative raising a child and considering alternatives to public school, the program is available to kinship caregivers — but the application process has a specific requirement you need to know about.

What the Hope Scholarship Is

The Hope Scholarship, governed by WV Code Chapter 18, Article 31, provides eligible students with state funds deposited into an education savings account. Parents or authorized account holders direct those funds toward qualifying expenses. It's not a traditional scholarship with a single check — it's an ongoing account managed through the Hope Scholarship Board's portal.

How a Kinship Caregiver Qualifies

You don't need a court custody order to apply on behalf of a child in your care. The Hope Scholarship Board lists an "Affidavit of Child Custody" to document custodian guardianship. The form defines a custodian as someone who has or shares actual physical possession or care and custody of the child, regardless of whether custody was granted by contract or agreement.

In the affidavit, you state the physical-care arrangement, how long it has been in place, your relationship to the child, your West Virginia address, and your intent to serve as the Authorized Account Holder. The affidavit must be signed under oath before a notary public.

Once the Hope Scholarship Board accepts your affidavit, you can register as the account holder and manage the child's ESA funds.

Key Requirements

For 2026–27, a student must be a West Virginia resident, be enrolled or eligible to enroll in public school grades K–12, be under 21, and not have completed secondary education. An incoming kindergarten student must be five years old before July 1. The Board accepts applications year-round, but the original application date determines initial funding: 100% for March 2–June 15, 2026; 75% for June 16–September 15; 50% for September 16–November 30; and 25% for December 1, 2026–February 28, 2027. Applications after February 28 may be made for 2027–28 but receive no 2026–27 funding.

The custodian affidavit covers your authority within the Hope Scholarship program. It does not replace the other consent instruments you need for medical care (the §49-2-703 health care affidavit) or daily school activities (the §49-8-4 power of attorney). If the child is transitioning from public to private school using Hope Scholarship funds, you'll still need your medical consent paperwork in place for the new school's health requirements.

Using Funds

Approved expenses include private school tuition, registered tutoring services, curriculum and textbook purchases, educational therapy, standardized testing fees, and other categories defined by the Hope Scholarship Board's rules. The board audits spending, so keep receipts and only use the account for qualifying items.

Where to Start

Visit the Hope Scholarship Board's website to download the custodian affidavit form, review the current enrollment timeline, and create your account. Have the child's birth certificate, your proof of West Virginia residency, and a notary appointment ready.

For the full picture of every consent form, enrollment document, and benefits pathway available to kinship caregivers in West Virginia, the school and medical consent guide covers it all in one organized walkthrough.

See more West Virginia guides →