Utah Education Funding Programs: Utah Fits All Scholarship and Carson Smith Scholarships Explained

Quick answer: Utah’s main program is the Utah Fits All Scholarship, an education savings account open to any Utah K-12 student. For 2026-27 it has $120 million and pays up to $8,000 a year for a private school student, $4,000 for a home-based student aged 5 to 11 and $6,000 for a home-based student aged 12 to 18. Applications open March 1 for renewals and siblings and April 1 for new students, close May 1, and awards are made by lottery with priority for renewing students, siblings and families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Students with disabilities can also look at the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship.

Utah is one of the states where parents of homeschooled children, not only private school families, can receive state education dollars. That makes it a common search for families who are weighing a move from public school to home education.

This guide covers how the Utah Fits All Scholarship works, who gets priority, what the money can and cannot buy, the annual reporting requirement, the court case hanging over the program, and the two Carson Smith scholarships for students with disabilities. It is part of our guide to state education funding programs for parents, which compares ESAs, vouchers and tax-credit scholarships across the country.

Last verified October 2026 against the Utah Code (Title 53F, Chapter 6, Part 4), the program FAQ published by Utah Education Fits All, the Children First Education Fund’s Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship pages, the Utah State Board of Education’s Carson Smith Scholarship funding schedule, and reporting by KUTV and The Utah Ledger on the court case. Rules and amounts change by law, so confirm details with the program manager before you rely on them. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Table of Contents

The Utah Fits All Scholarship at a Glance

The Utah Fits All Scholarship Program was created by the Utah Legislature in 2023 and started paying scholarships in the 2024-25 school year. It is set up as a scholarship account: the state funds an account for each awarded student, and parents spend from it on approved education expenses through the program manager’s online platform. That structure is what most people mean by an education savings account, or ESA. If the terms are new to you, our explainer on ESA vs voucher vs tax-credit scholarship lays out how each model moves money.

Funding and scale

According to the Utah Education Fits All FAQ, the program was funded at $80 million for 2024-25. Lawmakers added $40 million in ongoing money during the 2025 session, with $20 million used for 2025-26 and the full $40 million for 2026-27, bringing the 2026-27 total to $120 million. The Utah Ledger, citing a June announcement, reported about 18,700 students receiving scholarships this school year.

Who runs it

Utah law calls the organization that administers the program the program manager. The Utah Education Fits All FAQ says Odyssey became the program manager on May 16, 2025 and now handles applications, accounts and purchases. Families reach Odyssey’s Utah support team at help.ut@withodyssey.com or 385-462-1338, according to the same FAQ.

Award amounts for 2026-27

Utah Code Section 53F-6-402 sets the maximum annual amounts, subject to legislative appropriations:

Student type	Maximum annual scholarship
Private school student	$8,000
Home-based student aged 5 to 11 on September 1	$4,000
Home-based student aged 12 to 18 on September 1	$6,000

Parents choose either private school or home-based on the application. The FAQ defines a private school for this purpose as a full-time, tuition-bearing institution where the student receives most of their academic instruction.

Who Can Apply and How Students Are Chosen

Eligibility is broad. Any Utah resident who is a K-12 student may apply, including children who currently attend a district or charter school, attend a private school, are homeschooled, or are eligible to start kindergarten in the coming year. A child’s current setting does not affect eligibility to apply.

Application calendar

The FAQ describes a fixed annual schedule set by law:

March 1: the portal opens for renewing scholarship students and their siblings.

April 1: the portal opens for new students.
May 1: the portal closes for everyone.
Within 30 days of the deadline: families receive a decision.
Before July 1: awarded families must accept.

Timing within the window does not matter. Applications are not first come, first served.

Priority order and the lottery

When there are more applicants than dollars, the program manager awards scholarships by lottery within a priority order defined in state law. According to the FAQ, the order is:

Students who used a scholarship account the previous year and submitted the required accountability measure.
Siblings of students who are using, or used last year, a scholarship account.
New students whose family income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level.

All remaining eligible applicants.

Because of the lottery, eligibility is not the same as an award. Families who are waitlisted and not awarded during the year must apply again as new applicants for the next school year.

Mid-year awards

If a scholarship opens up when another student exits, the law prorates the new award. The FAQ explains that an award made in the second quarter of the school year can be no more than 75% of the annual amount, an award in the third quarter no more than 50%, and no new awards are made in the fourth quarter.

What Utah Fits All Money Can Pay For

Utah Code Section 53F-6-401 defines a scholarship expense as a cost a parent or student incurs in the student’s education for goods or services from a qualifying provider. The list in the law, as summarized in the FAQ, includes:

Tuition and fees at a qualifying provider, and fees and instructional materials at a technical college.
Tutoring services and fees for after-school or summer education programs.
Textbooks, curricula and instructional materials, including online instruction a curriculum recommends.

Educational software and apps, and supplies or equipment related to the student’s educational needs.
Computer hardware or other devices intended primarily for education, no more than once every three years per student.
Fees for approved exams and prep courses, such as norm-referenced tests, Advanced Placement exams, industry certification exams and college admission exams.

Therapies for students with disabilities from licensed or accredited providers, including occupational, behavioral, physical, audiology and speech-language services.
Approved classes, tutoring, transportation or extracurricular fees offered by a public school that is a registered provider.
Ride fees for a fee-for-service transportation provider to and from a qualifying provider, up to $750 a year.

Arts and music coursework aligned with state core standards, and musical instrument rental.

For a broader look at how allowed expenses compare across states, see our guide to whether homeschoolers can use state education funds.

Limits added in 2025

Lawmakers tightened spending rules after the first year. The Utah Ledger reports that 2025’s HB 455 capped some categories of spending at 20% of a scholarship and banned purchases such as ski passes and furniture. The FAQ describes the current caps this way: spending on extracurricular activities may not exceed 20% of the total scholarship, and spending on physical education may not exceed an additional 20%. Arts and music are not counted as extracurricular.

What is not allowed

The FAQ lists exclusions written into the law, including chaperone expenses (with a one-per-family exception for some home-based families), season tickets or entertainment subscriptions, ski passes and lift tickets, recreational facility access unless it is for the student’s physical education, playground equipment, furniture, buying musical instruments, apparel, and travel other than allowed transportation. “Educational supplements” must be directly tied to core subjects and learning objectives and generally be consumable; entertainment items, food, household items and general office supplies are excluded.

If a parent pays for something that is not approved, the law requires the money to be repaid to the account within a set period after the program manager notices it. Keep receipts and descriptions of what each purchase was for.

Keeping the Scholarship: The Annual Portfolio or Assessment

Utah does not require scholarship students to take the state’s public school tests, but it does require proof of learning each year to stay in the program. Under Utah Code Section 53F-6-401, as quoted in the FAQ, a scholarship student or parent must either:

Deliver a portfolio describing the student’s educational opportunities and achievements that year, or
Submit results from an approved assessment, such as a national norm-referenced test.

The portfolio or test results are due by May 31, or on an assessment schedule the program manager approves. Receiving them is a condition of the following year’s award, and portfolios stay private unless a parent consents to their use as an anonymized example.

Public school enrollment while on the scholarship

A scholarship student cannot be enrolled in a public school at the same time, even for one or two classes, unless that school is an approved Utah Fits All provider, because that would mean double funding. Students must be unenrolled from public school before accepting the scholarship. Starting in 2026-27, the FAQ says scholarship students may take part in public school athletics and extracurricular activities on the same terms as homeschool and private school students.

The Court Case: What Parents Should Know

In April 2025, Third District Judge Laura Scott ruled the Utah Fits All program unconstitutional. The Utah Ledger summarizes her reasoning: she found the program was not open to all children, diverted tax revenue to private use and did not meet constitutional requirements for a nonsectarian public education system. The decision was appealed to the Utah Supreme Court.

According to the Utah Education Fits All FAQ, the judge agreed with all parties at an April 23, 2025 status conference that the program could continue uninterrupted until the Supreme Court decides. KUTV reported in 2026 that legal briefs were filed early in the year and that no timetable has been set for a decision. The court is also changing: lawmakers expanded it from five to seven justices, and two justices are retiring.

Other developments

The Utah Ledger also reported that a July 2026 state audit criticized some program spending as “wasteful and extravagant,” citing items such as an expensive bicycle and a bookshelf. Lawmakers may respond with further rules.

What this means for planning

As of late September 2026, the program was still operating and the appeal was still pending. A ruling could change or end the program, possibly in the middle of a school year. Families who depend on the scholarship for tuition may want to ask their private school how it would handle a mid-year change, and homeschool families may want a fallback budget for curriculum.

Carson Smith Scholarships for Students With Disabilities

Utah has two separate programs for students with disabilities, and the names are easy to confuse.

Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS)

The Children First Education Fund (CFEF) administers the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship. To qualify, according to CFEF:

The student and parent or guardian must be Utah residents.
The student must have a disability as defined by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), documented by a current IEP, an Assessment Team Member Record or a qualifying multidisciplinary team evaluation.

K-12 students may use the scholarship for private school or homeschool; preschool students may use it only at an approved private preschool.
The student cannot be enrolled in a public or charter school when the award is made.
A student cannot receive CSOS and Utah Fits All in the same school year.

CFEF lists 2026-27 maximum awards of $12,175 for private school K-12, $4,800 for full-time private preschool, $2,600 for part-time private preschool and up to $8,000 for homeschool K-12. CFEF’s 2026-27 application guide splits the homeschool amount by grade ($6,000 for K-6 and $8,000 for 7-12), so confirm the figure for your child’s grade with CFEF. Applications are reviewed on a rolling schedule, with approvals by October 15, 2026 funded the week of November 2 and approvals by December 15, 2026 funded the week of January 4, 2027, according to CFEF’s scholarship page.

Legacy Carson Smith Scholarship

The original Carson Smith Scholarship, managed by the Utah State Board of Education, helps eligible students with disabilities attend an approved private school. The USBE’s 2026-27 funding schedule lists full-day K-12 annual amounts of $7,305 for students whose service level is 1 to 179 minutes a day and $12,175 for 180 or more minutes a day, with lower amounts for preschool and half-day kindergarten. Awards cannot exceed the private school’s tuition and fees. Students switching from the legacy program to CSOS must submit a new CFEF application.

Comparing Utah's Options

Program	Type	Who qualifies	Homeschool use	Administrator
Utah Fits All Scholarship	Education savings account	Any Utah K-12 resident; lottery with priority tiers	Yes, $4,000 or $6,000 by age	Odyssey (program manager)
Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship	Scholarship for students with disabilities	IDEA-qualifying disability, Utah resident	Yes, K-12	Children First Education Fund
Carson Smith Scholarship (legacy)	Private school scholarship for students with disabilities	Eligible students with disabilities	No	Utah State Board of Education

Families cannot stack Utah Fits All and CSOS in the same year, so a student with a disability may want to compare the higher CSOS amounts against Utah Fits All’s broader spending list before applying.

Homeschooling in Utah: The Legal Side

Receiving a scholarship does not replace Utah’s homeschool rules. Under Utah Code Section 53G-6-204, a parent who homeschools files a signed, notarized affidavit with the local school board stating that the child will attend a home school, and the district issues a certificate excusing the child from public school attendance. The Utah State Board of Education’s home school page explains the process and points families to their district office.

Scholarship rules add their own layer on top of that: the annual portfolio or assessment, purchase approvals and record keeping. For a state-by-state overview of filing requirements, see our guide to homeschool laws by state and how to follow them.

How to Apply Step by Step

Mark the dates: March 1 (renewals and siblings), April 1 (new students), May 1 (deadline).

Create an account on the program manager’s portal and read the current Utah Fits All handbook.
Decide whether your child will apply as a private school or home-based student; the amount differs.
Gather proof of Utah residency and, if you may qualify for income priority, household income documents.

Submit the application before May 1 and watch for a decision within 30 days of the deadline.
If awarded, accept before July 1, unenroll from public school if needed, and complete any provider or purchase setup.
Keep receipts and track the 20% caps on extracurricular and physical education spending.

Submit the portfolio or assessment results by May 31 to keep eligibility for the following year.

For students with disabilities, apply separately through the CFEF portal for CSOS, and decide which program you will accept before the school year begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Utah Fits All available to every Utah student?

Any Utah K-12 resident may apply, but awards depend on funding. When applications exceed available money, scholarships are awarded by lottery in priority order: renewing students, siblings, families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, then everyone else.

How much does Utah Fits All pay homeschoolers?

Utah Code sets the maximum at $4,000 for home-based students aged 5 to 11 and $6,000 for those aged 12 to 18, based on age on September 1. Private school students can receive up to $8,000.

Is the program ending because of the court ruling?

Not yet. A district judge ruled the program unconstitutional in April 2025, but the program continues while the Utah Supreme Court hears the appeal. As of late September 2026 no decision had been issued.

Do scholarship students have to take state tests?

No state test is required, but to stay eligible a family must submit either a portfolio or results from an approved assessment by May 31 each year.

Can my child use Utah Fits All and the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship together?

No. CFEF states that a student cannot receive CSOS and Utah Fits All in the same school year.

Can scholarship students play public school sports?

Starting in 2026-27, scholarship students may take part in public school athletics and extracurricular activities on the same terms as homeschool and private school students, according to the program FAQ.

Sources

Utah Code Title 53F, Chapter 6, Part 4 (Utah Fits All Scholarship Program), including Sections 53F-6-401 and 53F-6-402.

Utah Education Fits All, Utah Fits All FAQ (application calendar, priority order, expenses, portfolio rule).
Children First Education Fund, Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship eligibility, FAQ and 2026-27 application guide.
Utah State Board of Education, Carson Smith Scholarship Funding Schedule 2026-27 (revised July 17, 2026).

KUTV, “Families await Utah Supreme Court decision on school voucher program” (2026).
The Utah Ledger, Utah Fits All explainer (October 2026).

Utah Education Funding Programs: Utah Fits All Scholarship and Carson Smith Scholarships Explained