Homeschool funding & ESAs in West Virginia

Can I get paid to homeschool in West Virginia?

Not as a salary. What West Virginia offers is an education savings account: the Hope Scholarship puts about $5,000 per student per year into an account you spend on expenses the program approves, rather than paying you to teach. An ESA comes with conditions — what the money may be spent on, what has to be reported, and in some states whether the child is still counted as a homeschooler. The program details below set those out. Romeschool tracks and organizes what you spend, so a receipt is ready the moment a program asks for one — it never files or submits anything on your behalf. It runs the other way too: West Virginia's homeschool rules require a test or an evaluation each year. The accepted options, and who administers each, are in the testing line below. Which pathway you homeschool under changes that, so read the testing line before you plan around it. If the option you choose charges a fee, plan for it.

West Virginia ESA program

What does West Virginia require of homeschoolers — and what should I plan for?

West Virginia requires a test or an evaluation each year. That is the part of the year a family arranges ahead of time. Which pathway you homeschool under changes this: The annual assessment binds the notice-of-intent pathway (§18-8-1(c)(2)). On the county board-approved pathway the county board instead judges the instructor's qualifications and may require records of attendance, instruction and progress on request. Which options West Virginia accepts — and who administers each one — is in the testing line below, in the reviewed rules' own words. If the option you choose charges a fee, plan for it. What West Virginia asks for — notice, instruction time, testing and records — is set out below, straight from the reviewed rules.

Notice

Yes. West Virginia requires homeschooling families to file a notice. Where it goes: County superintendent (or county board). How: A written Notice of Intent giving each child's name, address and age, with an assurance that the child will be taught reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies and will be assessed annually (§18-8-1(c)(2)(A)); a copy of the instructor's diploma or equivalent goes with it (§18-8-1(c)(2)(B)). The Department of Education publishes a sample letter. Certified mail is a common precaution, not a legal requirement. When: One-time before starting (and on moving counties or withdrawing from public school). One-time notice — you do not refile each year. Tell the county superintendent when home instruction ends for a child who is still of compulsory attendance age. Moving to another West Virginia county means notifying your previous county superintendent and filing a new notice of intent with the new county (§18-8-1(c)(2)(A)).

Testing or evaluation

Yes. West Virginia requires a test or another accepted form of evaluation. How often: Annual (every year, all grades; submitted at grades 3, 5, 8, 11). Who this applies to: The annual assessment binds the notice-of-intent pathway (§18-8-1(c)(2)). On the county board-approved pathway the county board instead judges the instructor's qualifications and may require records of attendance, instruction and progress on request. Accepted options: nationally-normed standardized test (normed within 10 years); participation in the state public-school testing program; portfolio review by a certified teacher with a written narrative; and an alternative assessment agreed in advance with the superintendent. An annual assessment is required every year for every student, but results go to the county superintendent only at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, by June 30. What counts as acceptable progress depends on the option chosen: on a nationally normed standardized test it is a mean at or above the fourth stanine — which begins at about the 23rd percentile — or, if below it, improvement on the previous year's results; on the portfolio option a certified teacher decides whether the year's progress is in accordance with the child's own abilities; the public-school testing option follows that program's own current guidelines. If an assessment does not show acceptable progress, the parent must begin a remedial program, and if a second consecutive year falls short the parent must give the county superintendent additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided (§18-8-1(c)(2)(C)–(D)).

Days and hours

West Virginia's rule: The notice-of-intent pathway nearly every family uses sets no minimum days or hours. The county board-approved pathway under §18-8-1(c)(1) is the exception: instruction must run for a time equal to the public-school instructional term in §18-5-45 — 180 separate instructional days now, and 900 instructional hours once SB 890 (2026) takes effect on July 1, 2027.

Records

West Virginia requires these records: annual assessment results. How long, or where they go: Submit results to the county superintendent at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 by June 30; §18-8-1(c)(2)(D) requires keeping a copy of every annual assessment for three years. Assessment results are submitted to the county superintendent only at grades 3, 5, 8, 11; in other years the parent performs the assessment but keeps records internally.

Full West Virginia homeschool requirements →

Common questions about homeschool funding in West Virginia

Does West Virginia have an education savings account (ESA) for homeschoolers?

Yes. West Virginia offers the Hope Scholarship (about $5,000 per student per year), which independent homeschooling families can use for approved education expenses. Taking it changes the child's legal status — the note above the programs on this page says how. West Virginia's Hope Scholarship is broadly available; homeschool usability not yet confirmed.

How much is West Virginia's homeschool ESA worth?

Hope Scholarship provides approximately $5,000 per eligible student per year. Awards and eligibility change from year to year — confirm the current amount with the program before you rely on it.

Nationwide grants

• ACT Today! Grant · Autism Care Today
  For U.S. families of a child with an autism diagnosis (priority to household income under $100k).
  Open to any family of a child with autism — not homeschool-specific, but useful for therapy costs.
• Dyslexia Services Foundation Grant · Dyslexia Services Foundation
  For low-income U.S. children with dyslexia who cannot otherwise afford treatment (need shown via free/reduced lunch, Medicaid, or SNAP).
  Typically identified through a teacher or provider; not homeschool-specific.
• HSLDA Compassion Curriculum Grant · Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
  For HSLDA members with significant financial need (legal custody of a child 6-19, homeschooling 3+ months).
  You must privately fund your homeschool (not receiving ESA or other public funds).
• HSLDA Disaster Relief Grant · Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
  For homeschooling families (child 6-19) with physical disaster damage in the past 18 months.
• MyGOAL Autism Grant · MyGOAL Inc.
  For the primary caregiver of a child under 18 with autism, with demonstrated financial need.
  Open to any family of a child with autism — not homeschool-specific.
• Our Military Kids Grant · Our Military Kids
  For children (1-18) of deployed National Guard/Reserve members (60+ days) or of post-9/11 combat-injured service members and veterans.
  Funds organized, provider-led activities (not parent-taught core instruction).
• UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Grant · UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation
  For U.S. children aged 16 or under with commercial (non-public) health insurance, subject to income guidelines.
  Medical (not education) funding — useful for special-needs homeschoolers' therapy costs.

Full details, amounts and deadlines for every program →