The Utah Fits All Scholarship was created by HB 215 in the 2023 General Session and changed again by HB 455 in 2025. The Utah State Board of Education holds the contract, and Odyssey has managed the program since May 16, 2025, so applications, the marketplace, reimbursements and family questions all go to Odyssey rather than to USBE staff.
For 2026-27 the award is $8,000 for a private-school student, $4,000 for a home-based student who is 5 to 11 on Sept 1 and $6,000 for a home-based student who is 12 to 18. To receive the private-school amount, the parent selects the school in the Odyssey portal and the school confirms enrollment. A student who joins after the year starts gets 75% in the second quarter and 50% in the third, and no new awards go out in the fourth.
Demand is the real constraint in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Odyssey reported a record 27,560 applications for 2026-27, issued awards to over 18,700 students in June and placed over 8,800 on a waitlist; KUTV reported slightly different counts. With no income cap, places go in a fixed order: returning students, then siblings of a prior-year recipient, then households at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, then a lottery for everyone else.
The program is also in court. A 3rd District judge ruled it unconstitutional on April 18, 2025, but declined to halt it, and the state's appeal has been pending before the Utah Supreme Court since then with no decision as of October 2026. In practical terms, 2026-27 money is flowing: Odyssey released funds on Aug 20, 2026, and families are paying tuition and buying from the marketplace now.
Locally, 30 of the 82 schools in our Salt Lake and Tooele directory matched the approved 2026-27 private-school list, including Judge Memorial and Juan Diego. Several well-known independent campuses did not match, so the table on each school page tells you which side of the list a school is on before you plan around the award.
Utah Fits All calculator What's left after Utah Fits All What Utah Fits All pays for
Combining it with other sources
This source can sit alongside a school's own aid, parish or member rates and payment plans. The one hard rule in Utah is that a child holds only one of Utah Fits All, the original Carson Smith Scholarship or the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship at a time, so each child takes one path and a sibling may take the other.
Common questions
How much is the Utah Fits All Scholarship for a Salt Lake City private-school student in 2026-27?
The Utah Fits All Scholarship is $8,000 for a private-school student in 2026-27, set by Utah Code 53F-6-402. A Salt Lake City family receives that amount only after selecting an approved private school in the Odyssey portal and the school confirms enrollment. Home-based students receive less: $4,000 at ages 5 to 11 and $6,000 at ages 12 to 18 on Sept 1.
Who decides which Salt Lake families get Utah Fits All when there is not enough money?
Utah Fits All funds applicants in a fixed priority order when applications exceed the money. Returning students come first, then siblings of a prior-year recipient, then households at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Every remaining Salt Lake or Tooele applicant goes into a random lottery. There is no income cap, so a higher-income family can still be funded if money remains after the priority groups.
Is Utah Fits All still paying families while the Utah Supreme Court appeal is pending?
Utah Fits All is still paying families. A district judge ruled the program unconstitutional on April 18, 2025, but let it keep running during the appeal, and the Utah Supreme Court had not ruled as of October 2026. Odyssey released 2026-27 Utah Fits All funds on Aug 20, 2026, so Salt Lake families can pay tuition and buy approved items now.
What happens to unspent Utah Fits All money at the end of the year?
Unspent Utah Fits All money partly carries forward. Odyssey rolls two-thirds of a family's unused balance into the next program year, capped at $2,000, and the rest does not carry over. A Salt Lake family whose tuition is below $8,000 can plan to use the remainder on tutoring, curriculum or therapies during the year rather than counting on the rollover.
Can a student use Utah Fits All and stay enrolled part-time in a Salt Lake public school?
A student cannot use Utah Fits All while enrolled in a Utah public school district, a charter school or the Statewide Online Education Program. Odyssey runs cross-enrollment checks with USBE to catch overlap. A Granite, Canyons, Jordan or Salt Lake City School District student must withdraw from public enrollment before the Utah Fits All award can be used for private school or home-based learning.