1. The two routes at a glance
Odyssey is the program manager for Utah Fits All under a contract with the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), so every scholarship dollar moves through Odyssey. Tutoring is an eligible expense with no cap, and there are two ways to pay a tutor with it:
| Route 1: Odyssey Marketplace | Route 2: Reimbursement | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays the tutor | Odyssey pays the provider directly from your child’s account | You pay first; Odyssey repays you if the claim is approved |
| Out of pocket? | No. Odyssey: “you don’t have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement” | Yes, until the reimbursement arrives |
| Odyssey review | Odyssey says Marketplace purchases are “Pre-approved and do not require Odyssey review” | Every claim is reviewed |
| Processing time | Odyssey: “Immediate” | Within 10 business days of a complete submission, then paid within 10 business days of approval |
| Paperwork | No reimbursement claim to file | Itemized receipt, proof of completed payment and proof of payment method |
| Price | The provider’s listed Marketplace price, with no add-on charges | No more than 10% above a comparable Marketplace price |
| Fees to families | None: “There are no processing or transaction fees when using the platform.” | |
Odyssey’s 2026-27 funding notice names tutoring among the things families buy in the Marketplace (“...curriculum, educational technology, tutoring, music lessons...”). With no out-of-pocket cost and no claim to wait on, it is the route we suggest starting with.
2. Route 1: booking tutoring in the Odyssey Marketplace
The Odyssey Marketplace (Odyssey also calls it the UFA Marketplace) is where approved providers list what they sell, and where you spend from your child’s Odyssey Wallet. Odyssey describes it this way:
“Odyssey pays vendors directly—you don’t have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement.”
“Marketplace purchases are: Pre-approved and do not require Odyssey review.”
Odyssey’s rules for providers say each offering should tell you:
- the delivery method: “in-person, virtual, or hybrid”;
- the number of sessions, how often they happen and how long each one lasts;
- “Instructor or provider credentials, if required”; and
- the price. Odyssey says “no additional charges can be added on top of their listed price.”
The general steps:
- Sign in to your Odyssey account and open the Marketplace.
- Look in the Tutoring category and read each offering’s details.
- If you have questions about fit, scheduling or missed sessions, ask the provider before you order.
- Place the order. Odyssey pays the provider directly from your child’s account.
- Schedule sessions with the provider and keep your own record of what was delivered.
One detail surprises some parents: for Marketplace orders, Odyssey’s vendor rules say “Under no circumstances are invoices or documents containing transaction information to be shared between suppliers and consumers.” So a Marketplace provider should not send you an invoice for the order.
3. Marketplace cancellations and refunds
Two Odyssey policies matter before you place a tutoring order:
- No cancellations at will. Odyssey maintains “a ‘No Cancelation Policy,’ covering both products and services,” and says “Service orders will only be cancelled if authorized by the vendor.”
- Refunds only through Odyssey. Odyssey says “all refunds for the program must be requested and approved through Odyssey.” A provider can’t hand money back to you: Odyssey’s Fraud and Misuse Policy lists “Receiving a direct refund from a merchant after purchasing on the marketplace” as misuse, and Utah law bars providers from refunding, rebating or sharing scholarship funds with families except through the program’s financial administrator.
The practical takeaway is to ask questions first. Before ordering, ask the provider how scheduling works, what happens if your child is sick or a session is missed, and how many sessions it makes sense to buy at once. Answers vary by provider, and the provider is the one who decides whether a service order can be cancelled.
4. Route 2: paying first, then asking for reimbursement
Reimbursement is for when you pay a provider yourself, for example a tutor who doesn’t sell through the Marketplace. Utah law lets families buy substantially similar items elsewhere and seek reimbursement, and says the program manager “may not require exclusive marketplace purchases” (Utah Code 53F-6-405(11)). The expense still has to meet the program’s rules. If the provider isn’t an approved (qualifying) provider, Utah Code 53F-6-402(7)(c)(ii) allows reimbursement only if, in summary:
- the receipt shows the cost, the type of good or service and the provider’s name;
- the expense would have qualified if an approved provider had provided it;
- the provider is not the parent of a home-based scholarship student, where the good or service is for that parent’s own child;
- Odyssey determines that the expense was incurred in your child’s education; and
- Odyssey determines that the expense was incurred when your child was not enrolled in a public school.
Odyssey’s 2026-27 proof rules and 10% price rule (sections 5 and 6) apply as well, and Odyssey reviews each claim.
Reimbursement means paying out of pocket and waiting, and a claim can be turned down if the paperwork or the expense doesn’t meet the rules. If you plan to use this route for a new provider, consider an Eligibility Request first (section 8).
Which route fits your family?
- The tutor you want sells in the Marketplace: order there. Odyssey pays the provider, there is no claim to file, and the price check in section 6 doesn’t apply.
- The tutor you want doesn’t sell in the Marketplace: reimbursement is the route. Check that the price is within 10% of comparable Marketplace tutoring, get receipts that meet the 2026-27 rules, and budget for paying up front.
- You’re not sure the expense qualifies: submit an Eligibility Request before you pay, knowing it is a preliminary review rather than a guarantee.
5. The 2026-27 proof rules
Odyssey updated its documentation rules for 2026-27 awards (“Updated UFA Spending Policies for 2026-27 Awards,” posted June 29, 2026). Every reimbursement claim needs:
- “an itemized receipt”;
- “proof that payment was completed (not just an invoice or order confirmation)”; and
- “documentation identifying the payment method used.”
Some payment methods need more:
| How you paid | What Odyssey needs (2026-27) |
|---|---|
| Cash or check | A point-of-sale or system-generated receipt. “Self-prepared invoices will not be accepted for cash or check purchases.” |
| Paid against a Word or PDF invoice | Accepted only with extra proof of payment: a bank or card statement, or a digital-payment confirmation |
| Payment app (Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Cash App) | The vendor’s receipt or invoice plus a screenshot of the completed transaction |
Example (for illustration): a parent pays a tutor for a month of sessions through a payment app. To claim it, the parent uploads the tutor’s itemized receipt or invoice and a screenshot showing the completed payment, not the invoice on its own.
6. The 10% price rule
Odyssey’s 2026-27 spending policies include a price check: “Reimbursements will be honored for items and services comparable to those available in the Odyssey Marketplace, provided the cost does not exceed the Marketplace price by more than 10%.” For 2026-27, goods over $1,000 also get “additional scrutiny.”
In practice, if comparable tutoring is listed in the Marketplace, a price more than 10% above it falls outside what Odyssey says it will honor. (Utah law says Marketplace prices “shall reflect fair market value.”) Compare before you commit, and keep in mind that tutoring bought in the Marketplace avoids this check altogether.
7. How long each route takes
| Step | Marketplace | Reimbursement |
|---|---|---|
| Review | “Immediate” | “processed within 10 business days of a complete submission” |
| Payment | Odyssey pays the provider directly | “Payment will be received within 10 business days of approval” |
| Deadline | Expenses must occur within the July 1 to June 30 scholarship year | The 2025-26 deadline was May 31, 2026; Odyssey has not yet posted the 2026-27 deadline |
By our reading of those two Odyssey timelines, a complete claim that is approved without follow-up questions would be paid within about 20 business days of submission. Utah law backs the second half: the program manager processes approved reimbursements “within 10 business days after the program manager approves the expense” (Utah Code 53F-6-405(1)(n)). Odyssey’s 2026-27 policies also state: “Reimbursement Payments Are Final.”
The scholarship year also shapes timing. Odyssey says “Expenses must occur within the applicable scholarship year,” which runs from July 1 through June 30, and that “Services that started before June 30 and carry through to the next program year are eligible expenses.” Retroactive reimbursement applies only to tuition and fees, so check with Odyssey before you pay for tutoring sessions that take place before your child is funded. 2026-27 funds became available on July 15, 2026.
8. Not sure an expense qualifies? Use an Eligibility Request
Utah law requires the program manager to offer a way to check an expense in advance, with “a response within seven business days” (Utah Code 53F-6-405(10)). Odyssey’s version is the Eligibility Request, a preliminary review of a planned expense. It is most useful for an unusual purchase or a provider outside the Marketplace. Odyssey is explicit about its limits: “An Eligibility Request is not a final approval or guarantee of reimbursement.” You still need the right receipts when you claim.
9. What families must not do
Odyssey’s Fraud and Misuse Policy and Utah law list uses that count as misuse. Don’t:
- claim the same receipt more than once, or for more than one student;
- let anyone other than the award recipient use the account;
- submit fake or altered receipts;
- resell items bought with scholarship funds;
- pay yourself to teach your own child;
- accept a direct refund from a provider after a Marketplace purchase (refunds go through Odyssey); or
- split one purchase across siblings, or pool funds. Odyssey says “Funds cannot be pooled or transferred between siblings.”
A related rule applies to providers. Utah law bars them from refunding, rebating or sharing scholarship funds with families except through the program’s financial administrator, so a cash-back offer, gift card or bonus tied to paying with Utah Fits All is a warning sign. Our guide to finding a special education tutor lists other red flags.
10. Paying Special Ed Resource with Utah Fits All
Special Education Resource LLC is an approved provider in the Utah Fits All Odyssey Marketplace. Our own teachers, certified in special education, provide one-to-one academic tutoring online, so the business you pay is the one teaching your child. We provide academic tutoring only, not therapy, speech services or evaluations, and Utah Fits All covers kindergarten through grade 12. We are not Odyssey, the Utah State Board of Education or the State of Utah.
If you’d like to talk through tutoring for your child before you order anything, book a free consultation or call (844) 773-3822. Questions about your balance, orders or reimbursements go to Odyssey at 385-462-1338 or help.ut@withodyssey.com. For other official links, see our Utah Fits All help and contacts guide.