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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Hope Scholarship Board will consider legislative rules in the coming weeks. The rules were reviewed and agreed upon during Subcommittee on Legislative Rules.
Legal counsel Sarah Canterbury said the application period will open in the month of March. The program will provide $4,600 to West Virginia students leaving the public school system.
“The board will accept enrollment applications from eligible students from March 1 through May 15 prior to the upcoming school year,” Canterbury said.
Families can use the money for individual instruction, extracurricular activities, tuition and fees at an approved educational service provider, tutoring (when it is not a member of the student’s family) and fees for testing, after-school or summer programs and therapies are some examples.
“The rule requires transactions to be completed electronically using an online portal established by the board,” Canterbury said. “Funds are deposited in two disbursements during the school year. One disbursement by August 15 and one disbursement by the following January 15.”
The rules will cover how the transaction must be completed, documented and how to handle overpayment of any kind.
“Purchases must be made electronically using the online portal,” Canterbury said. ” Through the Hope Scholarship Act, refunds of Hope Scholarship funds to parents are prohibited and may only be made to a Hope Scholarship account of the Hope Scholarship student.”
The rules will also detail the procedure to approve, monitor and evaluate educational service providers to be used by families.
“The rules also details procedures for the board to investigate any violations of law or this rule by an educational service provider,” Canterbury said. ” And allows the board to declare a provider ineligible to continue participation in the program in certain circumstances.”
The Treasurer’s Office will administer the program that is expected to cost about $23.6 million.
A report from edchoice.org said the West Virginia program is the most expansive in the nation.