Arcade games, weapons, crystals on new ‘unallowable' expense list for West Virginia's Hope Scholarship
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Hope Scholarship, a way for West Virginia families to invest in for alternative education for their children instead of public education, has outlined new new limits on what can purchased with the funds.
Hope Scholarship is part of a push in West Virginia to give parents school choice. Qualifying students can get up to $5,000 per year to go toward alternative private, charter or homeschooling options. However, the State Treasurer's office clarified last month that the scholarship can't be used for just anything.
A new 'Non-Qualifying (Unallowable) Expense List' for the Hope Scholarship was adopted on May 16 to give families a better idea of what cannot be purchased. The non-comprehensive list includes a number of entertainment-related items, weapons and ammunition, virtual reality equipment, livestock, medications, jewelry, trees, metal detectors, trampolines, 'tourmaline crystal towers,' pool tables, movie theater admissions, and Apple watches.
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You can see the full list online here, but any items that are 'predominantly for personal use or that pose a high risk of fraud' will also likely be denied by the Hope Scholarship board.
Families that are approved for the Hope Scholarship can use it for private school tuition or to purchase many homeschooling and educational items through a portal without additional board approval.
The Hope Scholarship, which gives the tax amount that would go to a child's public education back to the family for alternative schooling, has continued expanding since it started in 2022. Opponents of Hope Scholarship say that it adds to the problem of public schools closing in the state because it redistributes some of the state's funding for education.
Currently, the scholarship is only open to certain students, but starting in 2026, it will be available to up to 40,000 students across West Virginia, which is expected to reshape education in the state.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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