Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent Form: How to File the Dual NOI

What the Notice of Intent Does

The Hope Scholarship Notice of Intent (NOI) is the document that tells both the Hope Scholarship Board and your local county board of education that your child will be educated outside the public school system using scholarship funds. It is a legal requirement, not a formality.

Filing the NOI satisfies the compulsory attendance exemption under W. Va. Code §18-8-1(m). Without it, your child has no legal exemption from public school attendance — which means the county superintendent's office could flag your family for truancy.

The Dual-Purpose Form (Version 5)

The State Treasurer's Office released an updated form — Version 5 — that serves both purposes in a single filing. Before this update, families sometimes had to file separate paperwork with the county and the Hope Board, leading to confusion and processing delays.

The Version 5 form covers:

• Hope Scholarship registration with the Board
• Compulsory attendance exemption under §18-8-1(m)

You do not need to file a separate Exemption C homeschool notice if you are a Hope Scholarship participant. In fact, you should not file an Exemption C notice — doing so creates conflicting legal status for your child.

How to File

Step 1: Download the current Notice of Intent form from the Hope Scholarship portal at hopescholarshipwv.com.

Step 2: Complete the form with your child's full legal name, date of birth, WVEIS ID number, your county of residence, and the educational delivery model you plan to use (home instruction, private school, or microschool).

Step 3: Submit the form through the Hope portal as part of your application.

Step 4: Send a copy to your local county superintendent's office. Some counties accept email, others require mail or hand delivery. Confirm with your county office which method they accept. Keep a dated copy for your records.

What Happens If You Do Not File

Under CSR §112-18-3.4, the Board may withhold or delay funding if a valid Hope NOI is not on file with both the portal and the county board of education. Many families have experienced their application status stuck at "Eligible" instead of moving to "Approved" — and the missing NOI is the most common cause.

The county board needs the NOI to update your child's status in the WVEIS system. Until they do, the Hope Board cannot verify your child's compulsory attendance exemption.

Transitioning from Exemption C

If your family has been homeschooling under the traditional Exemption C (W. Va. Code §18-8-1(c)), joining the Hope Scholarship changes your legal classification. Your child moves from Exemption C to Exemption M — a separate statutory category for Hope Scholarship students.

This transition means:

• Do not file an Exemption C NOI with the county for the upcoming year
• Do file the Hope NOI (Version 5) instead
• Your oversight shifts from the county superintendent to the Hope Scholarship Board
• Your assessment schedule changes from grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 to an annual requirement

If you later decide to leave the Hope Scholarship and return to traditional homeschooling, you would file a new Exemption C NOI with the county and forfeit any remaining Hope account balance.

Filing for Multiple Children

Each child needs their own NOI. If you have three children participating in the Hope Scholarship, you file three separate forms. The portal allows you to manage multiple student accounts under one Account Holder profile.

The West Virginia Hope Scholarship Parent Guide includes a step-by-step NOI filing walkthrough and a checklist to confirm both the portal and county submissions are complete before your funding window closes.

See more West Virginia guides →