Education (Student Financial Aid)

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 5362: Relating to Hope Scholarships awards

HB 5362 would amend West Virginia's Hope Scholarship Program by establishing income limits for eligibility, requiring scholarship recipients to use public school testing resources, and restricting scholarship use to in-state schools. The bill would require the Board of Education to create rules for reimbursing counties when public schools provide services to scholarship students. It directly affects families applying for Hope Scholarships for their children attending public or private schools in West Virginia. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process, having been introduced on February 9, 2026, and referred to the House Education committee.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts eligibility via income limits and in-state use, limiting scholarship access and imposing public testing requirements on recipients.92% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

HB 5249: Limiting the use of state funding under the Hope Scholarship Program for out-of-state private schools and providers

HB 5249 would amend West Virginia's Hope Scholarship Program to prohibit the use of state funds for private school tuition or educational services provided by out-of-state schools or providers. This change directly affects families who currently use Hope Scholarship funds to pay for education at schools or services located outside West Virginia. The bill restricts all scholarship funds to only in-state private schools and educational service providers within West Virginia. As a result, families seeking to use state-funded scholarships for out-of-state education would no longer be eligible for that funding.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts state funding to in-state schools only, limiting educational access for families using scholarships at out-of-state providers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 879: Eliminating Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs

SB 879 eliminates West Virginia's Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs by repealing its statutory foundation (§5-26-1) and removing its director from state commissions. The bill transfers the office's remaining Minority Affairs Fund balance to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Investment Fund, removes the director from the West Virginia Hope Scholarship Board, and substitutes a new appointee. It also directs renaming Building 3 of the State Capitol Complex after Herbert H. Henderson and creating commemorative signs for the building. These changes formally terminate the office's operations while preserving a symbolic tribute to its namesake.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill eliminates Office of Minority Affairs, which supported educational access for minorities, and redirects its funds to a non-education fund, weakening minority education support.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 29, 2026

HB 4961: Cap the amount of family income eligible for Hope Scholarships

HB 4961 would limit eligibility for West Virginia's Hope Scholarship program by capping family income at $150,000 in the taxable year of application. This change directly affects parents applying for the scholarship to cover K-12 education expenses for their children. The bill amends existing law to require that a parent's combined federal adjusted gross income must be below $150,000, replacing any previous income threshold. It does not alter other program requirements, such as qualifying education expenses or application procedures.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCaps income eligibility for state scholarship program, reducing state expenditure on education funding by limiting qualified applicants.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts K-12 scholarship access by capping family income at $150k, limiting eligibility for Hope Scholarships per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 618: Prohibiting public funds from supporting low-earning outcome postsecondary degree programs

Senate Bill 618 prohibits West Virginia state and local public funds from supporting postsecondary degree programs identified as having "low-earning outcomes" under federal standards. It requires the Higher Education Policy Council to adopt rules blocking state funding - covering student aid, operational costs, grants, and facilities - from such programs and to annually report on blocked programs and fiscal impacts. This directly affects public universities and colleges receiving state funding, as well as students enrolled in designated programs. The bill implements a policy change by tying state education funding eligibility to graduate earnings data, rather than program content or accreditation.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesDefunds specific higher education programs by restricting state funding allocation for low-earning outcome degrees, directly limiting public spending on targeted programs.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationDefunds specific higher education programs with low-earning outcomes, restricting state funding for such programs per bill language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 4497: To not entitle WV students to get aid from any WV schools unless they pass a college qualification exam in the 10th grade

This bill would require all West Virginia public high school students to pass a state-developed college readiness exam in 10th grade to qualify for public financial aid at West Virginia's public colleges and universities. The State Board of Education must create the exam and set passing standards, allowing students who fail to retake it after a reasonable time. It applies only to publicly available financial aid for public institutions and would take effect for the 2026-2027 school year. The bill does not affect other forms of aid or private institutions.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts access to higher education financial aid by requiring 10th-grade exam pass, limiting eligibility for state aid and creating barriers to educational access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Financial Aid Testing & Assessment

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introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 600: Limiting family income for Hope Scholarship eligibility

SB 600 would limit eligibility for West Virginia's Hope Scholarship Program by requiring that a student's parent or parents have a combined federal adjusted gross income under $100,000. This change directly affects families applying for the scholarship, as it sets a new income threshold for qualification. The bill also requires unused scholarship funds to transfer to the student's local county school system at year-end and mandates that all scholarship funds be spent only on education services provided within West Virginia. These provisions amend existing sections of the state code governing the Hope Scholarship Program.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts scholarship access by income threshold ($100k AGI limit), directly limiting educational access for higher-income families under K-12 education policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 19, 2026

SB 476: Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act

SB 476, the "Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act," requires West Virginia public universities to stop using accreditors that mandate or consider Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as part of accreditation. It directs each university's governing board to review its accreditor by July 1, 2026, and switch to an accreditor that does not require DEI practices (e.g., DEI training, courses, or metrics) within the past five years. If no such accreditor exists, the university must report this to the legislature. The bill directly affects all public higher education institutions in West Virginia and aims to remove DEI requirements from the accreditation process, which is tied to federal student loan eligibility.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts DEI requirements in higher education accreditation, limiting inclusion initiatives mandated by accreditors per bill's explicit mandate to switch away from DEI-focused accreditors.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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