Hope Scholarship Delivers Wins for Families and Taxpayers

New analysis shows West Virginia’s school choice program saves money while expanding opportunities

Families in West Virginia are beginning to take advantage of the Hope Scholarship Program, and taxpayers are benefiting.  

Participation in the Hope Scholarship Program grew from 2,333 students in FY 2023 to 5,443 students in FY 2024, representing 2.4% of West Virginia’s total public-school enrollment. A recent analysis co-published by EdChoice and the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, looking at the fiscal effects of the Hope Scholarship Program, found that West Virginia taxpayers are saving dollars thanks to students moving on from their public school to an education that fits them.   

The Fiscal Analysis of West Virginia Hope Scholarship Program: Year 2 Results by EdChoice Director of Fiscal Research & Economic Education Center (FREC) Martin Lueken and Cooper Conway, a past FREC research assistant, focuses on the program’s net fiscal effects on state, local taxpayers, and school districts. It reveals the program’s negligible fiscal effect on the state, benefits local taxpayers and has minimal effects on public school districts.  

Lueken and Conway note some key findings in their analysis; these findings indicate that claims by opponents are overstated.  

Key Finding: “The maximum Hope Scholarship award in FY 2024 was $4,489, which is only 27.2% of the $16,500 average funding per pupil for WV public schools.”  

Implication: The Hope Scholarship Program is highly cost-effective for taxpayers, as it funds alternative education options for just 27% of the average per-pupil cost of public schools.  

Key Finding: “Total funding for Hope was $24.4 million in FY 2024, representing 0.6% of the $4.2 billion in funding for WV public schools.”  

Implication: The Hope Scholarship Program’s funding represents a minimal share of West Virginia’s overall education budget, countering arguments that the program is destroying the state’s public schools.    

Key Finding: “The program generated an estimated net cost of $637,412 in FY 2024. This amount represents 0.003% of total state expenditures on all public services and 0.02% of total funding from all sources for WV public schools.”  

Implication: The Hope Scholarship Program is affordable and efficient. Placing a negligible fiscal burden on the state’s total expenditures and total public school funding sources.  

Key Finding: “Public school districts experienced a total estimated revenue reduction of $24,433,627, but despite this revenue reduction, 99.53% of public-school funding remained intact statewide after students transferred to the Hope program. All districts maintained at least 98.73% of their budgets after students left for the Hope program.” 

Implication: The Hope program has negligible effects on public school funding and budget retainment.  

Key Finding: “As a result of Hope, resources available to students who remained in WV public schools increased by $269 for each remaining student.” 

Implication: Due to the cost-effectiveness of the Hope Scholarship Program, when students leave public schools to participate in the program, those who stay end up with more resources for their education on a per-student basis. 

Key Finding: “The Hope program generated $26.9 million in net fiscal benefits for West Virginia local taxpayers in FY 2024. “ 

Implication: As more students start to transfer from public schools to the Hope program, West Virginia local taxpayers will continue to see increased net fiscal benefits in the form of reduced educational costs for districts.  

Lueken and Conway’s analysis can show us that school choice programs can provide customized education to students, and taxpayers can save money as families start to take advantage of these programs. Cost-effective programs like the Hope Scholarship Program save state and taxpayer dollars, and positively impact numerous other important outcomes, like parent satisfaction and student performance. Creating wins for school choice families, public school families, taxpayers, and the state.  

Choice doesn’t just mean ensuring that only private schools are winning; it’s about improving education as a whole and letting families decide which option is best for them.