Before applying for the Hope Scholarship Program, you must first create an account with the Education Market Assistant (EMA) portal. When completing your child’s Hope Scholarship application in the EMA system after creating the account, you will need the following information/documents:

• Your child’s birth certificate  issued by a state – not hospital.
• Proof of West Virginia residency Demonstrated by one of the following documents that matches the physical address used on the application:

  
  Current tax records;  •  Proof of West Virginia home ownership, such as a mortgage document or homeowner’s insurance document;  •  A valid West Virginia vehicle registration card;  •  Residential rental or lease agreement;  •  Proof of public assistance through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; or  •  Two West Virginia utility bills no more than 60 days old from two different companies, not including termination notices. The following are considered utilities: water, gas, electric, telephone, cellular phone, garbage, internet and cable.

• Your child’s grade level for the year for which you are applying for the scholarship
• Your child’s WVEIS ID#assigned by your West Virginia public school. This can be found on your child’s report card or school lunch bill. For incoming kindergarten students, assignment of the WVEIS ID# will generally be triggered by submission of your Notice of Intent letter. See below for more information.
• A Notice of Intent Form

  All Hope Scholarship participants must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) form to the county superintendent of their county of residence. You can find the contact information for the county superintendent at the following: WV School Directory (state.wv.us)

  • For students who have already been assigned a WVEIS ID#, it is recommended that parents/guardians submit the NOI after their Hope Scholarship application is approved.

  • For incoming kindergarten students who do not already have a WVEIS ID# from attending a public Pre-K program, submit the NOI form prior to applying for the Hope Scholarship. Mark “Incoming Kindergarten Student” in the WVEIS ID# field to trigger the county board of education to assign the WVEIS ID#.

  
  Please note that the Notice of Intent to Participate in the Hope Scholarship Program is different from the traditional Notice of Intent to Homeschool. It is important to utilize the correct Notice of Intent language depending on which educational choice you are making for your child. See our Hope Scholarship FAQs for additional clarification regarding this issue.