Every way to pay for private school in Salt Lake City
Utah Fits All and the Carson Smith scholarships are the two big paths for Salt Lake and Tooele families, and a child uses one or the other each year. Around them sit home-based awards, Catholic and school aid, the child care subsidy for younger children and a federal donor credit starting in 2027.
Quick answer
Salt Lake and Tooele county families have six main ways to pay for private or home-based education in 2026-27, led by the Utah Fits All Scholarship at $8,000 per private-school student. The Carson Smith scholarships serve students with an IEP instead, and diocese aid, school discounts, the child care subsidy and a 2027 federal credit fill the gaps.
Utah Fits All Scholarship
Utah's education scholarship: $8,000 for a private-school student in 2026-27, paid through Odyssey, with no income limit but a priority order when money runs short.
Who qualifies →Students with an IEPCarson Smith Opportunity Scholarship
Utah's tax-credit-funded scholarship for students with disabilities, run by Children First Education Fund, and the separate path for a Salt Lake child with an IEP.
Who qualifies →Home-based · $4,000-$6,000Utah Fits All for Homeschool and Microschool Families
Home-based Utah Fits All awards of $4,000 or $6,000 for Salt Lake and Tooele families who homeschool or use a microschool that is not an approved private school.
Who qualifies →Diocese & school aidCatholic and School-Based Tuition Assistance
The Diocese of Salt Lake City's Skaggs Tuition Assistance Program and the discounts and aid that individual schools offer to close the gap after Utah Fits All.
Who qualifies →Ages 3-4Preschool and Child Care Assistance
Utah's child care subsidy, with a new income table from Oct 1, 2026, helps Salt Lake families pay for preschool and child care before Utah Fits All starts at age 5.
Who qualifies →Starts Jan 2027Federal Scholarship Tax Credit in Utah
Utah has opted into the new federal tax credit for gifts to scholarship granting organizations, worth up to $1,700 per taxpayer starting Jan 1, 2027.
Who qualifies →Dates to know
- Oct 1, 2026Utah's new child care subsidy income and co-payment table took effect; a household of four enters at $5,100 a month.
- Fall 2026Utah Fits All 2026-27 funds are live (released Aug 20, 2026). Reimbursements are processed within 10 business days; keep point-of-sale receipts for cash and check payments.
- PendingA Utah Supreme Court decision on the April 2025 district-court ruling. No date has been set, and the program keeps running until the Court rules.
- Jan 1, 2027The federal scholarship tax credit begins in Utah: up to $1,700 per donor, or $3,400 for married couples filing jointly.
- Early 2027 (not yet announced)2027-28 Utah Fits All applications. In the 2026-27 cycle Odyssey opened returning students on Mar 1 and new students from Apr 1 to May 1; watch Odyssey for the new dates.
- Spring 2027 (expected)Private schools seeking Utah Fits All approval apply to Odyssey. The 2026-27 school window ran May 1 to June 1.
Utah Fits All calculator What's left after Utah Fits All What Utah Fits All pays for
Find out which Utah award fits your child
Answer a few questions about grade, school and where you live in the valley, and a School Funding Advisor will call to walk through Utah Fits All, Carson Smith and school aid. There is no charge.