The gate: Approval as a Hope Scholarship Education Service Provider
What the rules actually say
“For new Education Service Providers wishing to join the Hope Scholarship program, please complete the Hope Scholarship New Provider Request Form.”
— Hope Scholarship — Service Providers
The sequence, in order
1. Form the entity + EIN. Register the school as a WV entity with an EIN; you’ll link a bank account via Plaid to get paid.
2. Review the Hope Scholarship ESP Handbook. Confirm allowable services, the secular/educational-service requirement, and recordkeeping duties before applying.
3. Choose provider type: ESP vs. nonpublic school. The ESP path (services/tuition billed through the state portal, no accreditation gate) is the lower-friction route for a new microschool.
4. Submit the New Provider Request Form. The Hope Scholarship Board reviews and approves ESPs, typically within a few weeks — light-touch approval, no accreditation required.
5. Create the portal account & connect your bank via Plaid. WV disburses directly through its own portal (NOT ClassWallet). Link your bank via Plaid after approval.
6. Publish offerings & invoice families. Families pay from their Hope accounts (~$5,267/student in 25-26; confirm current figure). Eligibility goes UNIVERSAL for all WV K-12 in 2026-27. Keep itemized records.
Where founders actually stall
West Virginia pays through a state Treasurer portal rather than a marketplace, and the provider onboarding is its own process with its own handbook. Read the handbook before applying, not during.
What we have not verified
Processing time for the New Provider Request Form.
We would rather say this than guess. Everything above that is stated as fact carries a link to the primary source, so you can check us.
Sources
Get set up in West Virginia
Get set up in West Virginia
West Virginia has no pre-approval step before funding, which makes it one of the lighter states to set up in. Both options are one-time. We never take a cut of your tuition.
Launch Kit · $950. Your West Virginia playbook: every step in the right order, the document each one needs, and the operator tools (roster, attendance, tuition billing, evidence vault). You do the filing.
Get the Launch Kit · $950
Concierge · $1,995. Everything in the Launch Kit, plus we do the ESA-vendor registration with you in a working session, inside West Virginia’s own platform.
Get Concierge · $1,995
Secure checkout via Stripe. We email you within one business day to confirm your state and school. Guidance, not legal advice.
Free: the West Virginia starter checklist
Free: the West Virginia microschool starter checklist
Where to begin, what your state requires, and how funding works. No fluff.