1. What Utah Fits All is
The Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is a state scholarship created by Utah Code Title 53F, Chapter 6, Part 4. Most families call it Utah Fits All or UFA. The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) describes it as an “education savings account (ESA),” and news coverage often calls it Utah’s school voucher program. Whatever you call it, it works the same way: your child’s award is held in an Odyssey account (Odyssey calls it a “digital wallet”), and you spend it on approved education expenses such as private-school tuition, curriculum and tutoring.
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| Utah Legislature | Sets the rules and amounts in state law. It updated the program in 2026 with H.B. 467, effective May 6, 2026. |
| Utah State Board of Education (USBE) | Holds the contract for the program. |
| Odyssey | The program manager: applications, awards, student accounts, the Odyssey Marketplace, reimbursements and family support. |
| Approved providers | Private schools, curriculum sellers, tutors and others who sell eligible goods and services. Accepting scholarship payments does not make a provider an agent of the state (Utah Code 53F-6-406(2)(b)). |
Odyssey became the program manager on May 16, 2025, and USBE says the move from the previous manager (ACE) was “complete as of October 27, 2025.” USBE also says its staff “will no longer take complaints, input, or feedback on the program from parents/public,” so questions about your child’s account go to Odyssey (see section 10).
Utah Fits All is open to eligible students whether or not they have a disability. For families of children with IEPs, 504 plans, dyslexia, ADHD or autism, two points matter most: the amount is the same as for any other student, and accepting an account has a legal effect on public special education services (see section 7).
2. Who qualifies for Utah Fits All
Under Utah Code 53F-6-401(8), an eligible student must:
- be eligible to attend a Utah public school in kindergarten or grades 1–12;
- not have turned 19 before September 1 of the school year;
- have Utah as their primary residence (children of military members are included) and provide current-year proof of residence;
- not receive the legacy Carson Smith Scholarship or the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship in the same year;
- not be enrolled in a local education agency (LEA: the public school district or charter school that enrolls a student) or in the Statewide Online Education Program, apart from a narrow exception for certain courses described in the law; and
- keep eligibility by completing the yearly portfolio or assessment requirement.
There is no income limit and no disability requirement for eligibility. Income can affect priority when there are more applicants than funding (see section 6).
No part-time public-school enrollment
This is the rule that most often surprises families. Odyssey says students “cannot be enrolled in both programs simultaneously under Utah law,” and its June 2026 award notice says students “are not allowed to be enrolled in an LEA, SOEP, or the Carson Smith Scholarships while participating in UFA.” (SOEP is the Statewide Online Education Program.) Keeping part-time or “dual” enrollment, for a few classes or for special education services, is not allowed. USBE adds: “Keep in mind that any activity with a public school (in-person or online) may create similar situations.”
Two related rules help. First, a school district or charter school can still be a qualifying provider if it ensures the scholarship student “does not enroll in the LEA,” and the law lists LEA “contracted services … including individual classes, after-school tutoring services” as scholarship expenses. Second, your child may return to public school at any time. Odyssey says you “must notify Odyssey within five (5) business days,” and any remaining balance is removed from the account.
3. How much Utah Fits All pays in 2026-27
Utah law sets maximums, so every amount is an “up to” amount:
| Student | 2026-27 maximum |
|---|---|
| Private-school student | Up to $8,000 |
| Home-based student, age 5–11 on September 1 | Up to $4,000 |
| Home-based student, age 12–18 on September 1 | Up to $6,000 |
Odyssey announced on July 15, 2026 that 2026-27 funds were available. A few rules shape what a family actually receives. For 2026-27, Odyssey funded students who had not selected a private school by June 15 at the home-based amount for their age. Awards made partway through the year are prorated. And for every three unused dollars, two roll over, up to $2,000 in total (Utah Code 53F-6-411(6)). There is no application fee, Odyssey charges families no processing or transaction fees, and there is no extra amount for a disability. Our 2026-27 amounts guide explains each rule with examples.
4. What Utah Fits All pays for
Utah law defines a scholarship expense as one “that a parent or scholarship student incurs in the education of the scholarship student for a service or goods that a qualifying provider provides,” and the list that follows includes “tutoring services.” The law also allows reimbursement, only under set conditions, for a similar good or service from a provider that isn’t approved (Utah Code 53F-6-402(7)(c)(ii)). Odyssey’s test for any item is “whether an item is inherently educational versus a general-purpose item.”
- Tutoring. Odyssey’s Eligible Expense Guide lists Tutoring Services first among services, and Odyssey sets no cap or price limit on tutoring.
- Tuition, curriculum and technology. Odyssey names “curriculum, educational technology, tutoring, music lessons” among things families buy in the Marketplace, and private-school tuition and fees are eligible.
- Educational therapies. A separate category for services from a licensed or accredited practitioner, such as occupational, behavioral, physical, audiology and speech-language therapies.
- Capped items. For 2026-27, Odyssey limits computers to one tablet, laptop or desktop every three years at up to $1,500, caps transportation at $750, and limits extracurricular activities and physical education to 20% each.
- Not covered. Examples include furniture, apparel, entertainment streaming, season tickets, ski passes, playground equipment, musical-instrument purchases and overnight camps. A parent also cannot be paid to teach their own child.
Our guide to what Utah Fits All pays for has the full breakdown, the timing rules and how to check an expense before you buy.
5. How families pay tutors and other providers
Once funds are in your child’s account, there are two ways to use them. Odyssey’s 2026-27 guidance leads with the Marketplace:
| Odyssey Marketplace | Reimbursement | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | You order from an approved provider. “Odyssey pays vendors directly—you don’t have to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement.” | You pay the provider yourself, then submit proof to Odyssey. |
| Odyssey review | Odyssey says Marketplace purchases are “Pre-approved and do not require Odyssey review.” | Each claim is reviewed. For 2026-27 you need an itemized receipt and proof that payment was completed. |
| Speed | “Immediate” | Processed within 10 business days of a complete submission; paid within 10 business days of approval. |
| Price rule | The provider’s listed Marketplace price | No more than 10% above a comparable Marketplace price. |
Marketplace orders come with two Odyssey policies worth knowing before you buy: a “No Cancelation Policy” under which service orders are cancelled only if the vendor authorizes it, and a rule that all refunds must be requested and approved through Odyssey. Our guide to paying for tutoring with Utah Fits All walks through both routes, including the 2026-27 receipt rules. Our guide to finding a special education tutor covers what to check before you order.
6. Applying and renewing
Applications are made on Odyssey’s Utah Fits All application page, not through a school or a provider like us, and Utah law says there is no application fee. For the 2027-28 school year, state law sets this framework:
| Step | Date in state law |
|---|---|
| Applications open for current scholarship students | March 1, 2027 |
| Applications open for new students | April 1, 2027 |
| Application closes | May 1, 2027 (see the note below) |
| Portfolio item or assessment due for renewing students | No later than May 31, 2027 |
| Award decisions | Within 30 days of the application deadline |
| Families accept the award | Before July 1, 2027 |
These dates are set by state law (Utah Code 53F-6-405 and 53F-6-402); Odyssey has not yet posted 2027-28 dates. In 2026, Odyssey closed new applications on May 1 but kept returning-student applications open until May 31, so watch Odyssey’s help center for the actual 2027-28 deadlines.
Priority. When there are more applicants than funding, awards follow a priority order in Utah Code 53F-6-402(6). It starts with returning students who completed the renewal requirement, then siblings of current or prior-year students, and a lottery is used within a tier. Odyssey says “prioritization is not based on first come first served in any way.” Odyssey’s eligibility article lists the full order. Demand has been high: on June 17, 2026, Odyssey said it had issued 2026-27 awards to “over 18,700 students” and that its waitlist was “over 8,800 students.”
Renewal. To keep the scholarship, a returning student submits one portfolio item or an assessment no later than May 31. Odyssey’s examples include “Progress notes,” “Assessments or evaluations” and “A report card or progress report from a private school or curriculum provider.” Our application and renewal guide has the details.
7. What Utah Fits All means for an IEP
This is the most important section for families of children with IEPs. Utah Code 53F-6-402(4)(b) requires the Utah Fits All application to include this acknowledgment, word for word:
“I acknowledge that:
1: A qualifying provider may not provide the same level of disability services that are provided in a public school;
2: I will assume full financial responsibility for the education of my scholarship recipient if I agree to this scholarship account;
3: Agreeing to establish this scholarship account has the same effect as a parental refusal to consent to services as described in 34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.300, issued under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.; and
4: My child may return to a public school at any time, and I will notify the program manager within five business days if my child returns to a public school that is not a qualifying provider or if we have elected to take courses from the public portion of a qualifying provider.”
Utah Code 53F-6-402(4)(d) puts the key point into the law itself: agreeing to establish a scholarship account “has the same effect as a parental refusal to consent to services as described in 34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.300.” (34 C.F.R. 300.300 is the federal special education regulation on parental consent for evaluations and services.) The law also says that taking the scholarship does not “imply that a public school did not provide a free and appropriate public education.”
What this means depends on your child’s situation, so ask your school district or the Utah Parent Center (800-468-1160), Utah’s federally funded parent training and information center, before you accept an award. Two practical points: your child’s former public school (LEA) must give you “a copy of all school records” within 30 days of a request (Utah Code 53F-6-406(4)), and Utah’s Special Education Rules say the school district is responsible for “location, identification, and evaluation for eligibility for home schooled students in its boundaries” (the rules don’t mention Utah Fits All). Our guide to Utah Fits All and your child’s IEP goes further.
8. The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship alternative
Utah has a second scholarship only for students with disabilities: the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS), run by Children First Education Fund (CFEF), not Odyssey. A student needs a qualifying disability under the federal special education law (IDEA), verified within the prior 36 months, for example by an IEP. Applications go through CFEF.
| 2026-27 | Utah Fits All | Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (per CFEF) |
|---|---|---|
| K-12 private school | Up to $8,000 | $12,175 |
| Homeschool / home-based | Up to $4,000 (age 5–11) or $6,000 (age 12–18) | $8,000 (K-12) |
| Who qualifies | Eligible Utah K-12 students not enrolled in a public school or LEA | Students with a qualifying IDEA disability |
| Run by | Odyssey, under contract with USBE | Children First Education Fund |
USBE says: “Scholarship recipients can only be enrolled in ONE of the listed scholarships at a time (Carson Smith, Carson Smith Opportunities Scholarship, or Utah Fits All Scholarship).” CFEF funds CSOS in rounds. For 2026-27, CFEF estimates that applications approved by October 15, 2026 are funded the week of November 2, 2026, and those approved by December 15, 2026 the week of January 4, 2027, and it notes that “Funding may close at any time once available funds have been exhausted.” Compare the two programs in our Utah Fits All vs. Carson Smith guide, or read our Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship guide.
9. The court case
In April 2025, Utah’s Third District Court ruled the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program unconstitutional. The State asked the Utah Supreme Court for permission to appeal before the case was finished (an “interlocutory appeal”), the court granted that request, and the Utah Attorney General’s office reported in January 2026 that the State had filed its opening brief. As of October 1, 2026, the Utah Supreme Court has not ruled, and Utah Fits All is operating for the 2026-27 school year.
We don’t predict how or when the court will rule. Our court-case guide is dated and is updated when the status changes.
10. Who to contact, and where we fit
| Your question | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| Your application, award, account, Marketplace order or reimbursement | Odyssey: help.ut@withodyssey.com, 385-462-1338, or the Utah request form. Hours are 8am–8pm Mountain Time Monday–Friday and 10am–4pm on weekends (Odyssey says hours “may vary state-to-state”). |
| Your child’s IEP, special education rights or services | Your school district, or the Utah Parent Center at 800-468-1160 |
| The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship | Children First Education Fund: (801) 406-9080, info@cfe-fund.org |
| Tutoring for your child | Our team: book a free consultation or call (844) 773-3822 |
Special Education Resource LLC is an approved provider in the Utah Fits All Odyssey Marketplace. We are not Odyssey, USBE, or the State of Utah. Our own teachers, certified in special education, provide one-to-one academic tutoring online; we don’t offer therapy, speech services or evaluations. Utah Fits All covers kindergarten through grade 12. You can read more about us as a Utah Fits All provider, or use our Utah Fits All help and contacts guide for official links.