Kanawha, Berkeley County Schools could see over $2 million each lost in 2024-25 to Hope Scholarship

The Hope Scholarship could redirect $21.6 million in state aid formula funding, tied to enrollment, from its public schools for the 2024-25 academic year assuming that each applicant met eligibility requirements and was awarded the scholarship, according to data from the West Virginia Treasurer's Office obtained by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. There were 7,076 applicants for the Hope Scholarships during the 2023-24 application process, allotting up to $4,488.82 to spend per eligible applicant. Each county's potential loss as a result of that year's application process is calculated by multiplying the number of applicants by the amount of state aid that leaves the public schools when a student leaves. Kanawha and Berkeley counties saw the largest number of applicants and potential redirection of funding. Click on the counties below to see how much money could leave the public schools for the Hope Scholarship.