Utah Fits All has a home-based track as well as a private-school one. In 2025-26, 6,953 of the 14,522 students who used the scholarship were home-based, according to the legislative report covered by KSL in September 2026. For 2026-27 a home-based student receives $4,000 at ages 5 to 11 and $6,000 at ages 12 to 18, measured on Sept 1.
Utah's microschool law shapes how Salt Lake families use that money. 2023 SB 166 defined a micro-education entity as serving 150 students or fewer and a home-based education entity as serving 25 or fewer from the operator's primary home. 2024 SB 13 made both a permitted use in every zoning district, with first-priority land-use processing, which is why small programs can open in a Millcreek office suite or a Herriman basement without a rezoning fight.
A microschool's legal status does not by itself make it a Utah Fits All private school. To receive the $8,000 private-school amount, the program has to be on Odyssey's approved list, which requires full-time instruction at least three days a week, one comprehensive tuition and a public website with tuition, fees and refund policy. A family using a part-time program usually applies as home-based and pays the program as an approved marketplace provider, if it is one.
Spending rules matter more on this track. Odyssey caps after-school extracurriculars and physical education at 20% of the award each, limits laptops and tablets to $1,500 each, and for 2026-27 reviews any good over $1,000 and caps it at 110% of the matching marketplace price. Parents cannot be paid to teach their own child, and ski passes and recreational camps are not allowed.
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 does Utah Fits All give a homeschooled child in Salt Lake County?
Utah Fits All gives a home-based student $4,000 for 2026-27 if the child is 5 to 11 on Sept 1, and $6,000 if the child is 12 to 18. The amount is the same in Salt Lake County, Tooele County and the rest of Utah. Home-based families spend it on approved curriculum, tutoring, lessons, therapies and Odyssey marketplace purchases.
Does a Utah microschool count as a private school for the $8,000 Utah Fits All amount?
A Utah microschool counts for the $8,000 Utah Fits All amount only if Odyssey has approved it as a private school. Approval requires full-time instruction at least three days a week, a single comprehensive tuition and a public website listing tuition, fees and refunds. Otherwise the Salt Lake family applies as home-based and receives $4,000 or $6,000 instead.
Can a Salt Lake homeschool family use Utah Fits All for ski lessons or sports?
Utah Fits All does not pay for ski passes or snow sports, recreational camps, or tickets to sporting events. After-school extracurriculars and physical education are allowed but each is capped at 20% of the award. A Salt Lake homeschool family planning around Wasatch ski programs should budget for those with its own money rather than the scholarship.
What zoning rules apply to a home microschool in Salt Lake or Tooele County?
Utah's 2024 SB 13 made micro-education entities and home-based microschools a permitted use in all zoning districts, with first-priority land-use processing. A home-based microschool can serve up to 25 students from the operator's primary home under the 2023 SB 166 definition. Salt Lake and Tooele county operators should still confirm building, fire and business-license requirements with their city or county.