It’s been nearly five years since West Virginia became the first state in the nation to adopt a universal education savings account, or ESA program.
When the application window for the state’s Hope Scholarship program opens in early March, it will be the first year that every student in the state is eligible for a fully funded account they can use to customize their K-12 learning journey.
For some families, those funds go toward tuition at a private school, but the program also allows students to pay for tutoring, testing, industry-based credentials, microschooling, online learning, alternative education, summer programs, and transportation. It even lets them “purchase” classes and extracurricular activities through public school districts.
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West Virginia’s ESA program is a really big deal — and something to celebrate.
And new this year, every family in the Mountain State can apply for a scholarship regardless of what school their child last attended. That means no hurdles, no income caps, no limitations based on ZIP code — just the freedom to choose an education that works best for each student.
ESAs are popular nationally, and they enjoy high levels of support among parents in West Virginia. According to the EdChoice Public Opinion Tracker, a partnership with polling firm Morning Consult, 73% of school parents in West Virginia support ESAs.
What’s more, West Virginians favor a universal program (64%) over an income-based program (46%) by a wide margin.
Those results clearly show that universal school choice programs — embraced by 17 other states since West Virginia — are the way for policymakers to go if they want to reflect the desires of the constituents they serve.
Beyond public polling, the growth of West Virginia speaks volumes about the need for expanded schooling options.
This school year, there are approximately 15,000 students participating in the Hope Scholarship program. Each student receives the full per-pupil average of state aid to public schools: $5,267 in 2025-26, with the amount expected to increase to $5,435 next school year. Funding follows each Hope scholarship recipient to the school environment they choose. As the state invests more in education, Hope families share in that commitment. And families are putting those funds to work in powerful ways.
In the 2024–25 school year, parents directed 73% of Hope funds toward private school tuition, with 6% supporting microschools and the remaining 20% toward other approved educational items and services.
In total, more than 250 private schools, including microschools and virtual options, participate in the program. Many of these have opened to meet the demand of families with scholarships. Students in all 55 counties, from Hancock to McDowell, are participating. Hope has become a catalyst for creative, customized learning.
The scholarship program is working. According to the latest report, 97% of students made satisfactory academic progress. For a young and rapidly growing program, that is an extraordinary indicator of success. It shows that students can achieve their academic goals in a learning environment that fits them best.
In a state where geography can limit access and families deserve flexibility to meet their children’s unique learning needs, the Hope Scholarship represents practical policy reform that has grown over the past five years to create real opportunity for all students.
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The program is living up to its name, offering hope for parents seeking a better fit for their children, hope for students who thrive in customized environments, and hope for communities that want innovative new schooling options.
West Virginia took a bold step in 2021. Five years later, the results are clear: universal choice works. Now is the time to celebrate it, strengthen it, and ensure that every family that wants access to educational opportunities can find it.
Ben DeGrow is the senior policy director of education choice for ExcelinEd.