Hi friends — Janae here. I spent fifteen years as a school registrar before building ArborSlate, and every week I go through what actually changed in ESA programs and homeschool law so you don't have to. Here's what mattered this week.
West Virginia: Hope is now for everyone
As of July 1, the Hope Scholarship is universal — every WV K-12 student can apply, including families who have always homeschooled or used private school. No more 45-day public-school enrollment hoop. The full-year award is $5,435.62 (about $4,077 if you apply between June 16 and September 15). If you're a WV homeschool family who assumed you didn't qualify, that changed. One action: apply at the official Hope Scholarship site before the September 15 window closes.
Arkansas: new spending rules for 2026-27
If you're on the LEARNS Education Freedom Account, the rules tightened in June: rollover is now capped at $8,500 per family (down from $20,000), travel is capped at 25% of your annual disbursement, extracurriculars + PE + field trips are capped at 25% together, and sports with tryouts are no longer an eligible expense (open community and homeschool leagues are still fine). Anything outside core educational expenses now needs ADE pre-approval *before* you buy. One action: if you were saving up a big rollover balance, re-plan your spending this year.
South Carolina: the cap arrived early
ESTF applications closed June 25 after hitting the 15,000-student cap — new applicants go to a waitlist. The good news for families already in: the 2026-27 award rose to $7,634 and the income ceiling is now 500% of the federal poverty level. One action: if you're waitlisted, keep your documentation ready — spots do open.
New Hampshire: homeschool freedom, signed
Governor Ayotte signed HB 1268 in mid-July. Notice of intent is now optional, annual evaluations are repealed, and recordkeeping is your choice. My registrar two cents: keep the records anyway. Colleges, scholarship committees, and EFA reviewers still ask for them — the state not requiring records doesn't mean nobody will.
Quick hits
Alabama CHOOSE funds went live in ClassWallet around July 1 ($2,000 per homeschooled student, $4,000 family max — and remember, CHOOSE has no reimbursement option; everything runs through approved vendors). North Carolina cleared its ESA+ waitlist. Arizona's ballot initiative on ESA changes heads to the November vote — nothing changes now.
That's the week. I keep every source linked below so you can read the primary documents yourself.
*Not legal advice — always confirm against your program's current official handbook.*