Who can be approved
Odyssey approves private schools that offer full-time instruction at least three days a week, charge one comprehensive tuition, and provide most of a student's instruction through someone other than the parent. The school needs a public website showing tuition, fees, refund policy, contact information and address, plus an EIN and tuition and services disclosures. Accreditation is optional.
What 2026 HB 467 changed
According to reporting on the 2026 session, HB 467 removed the accreditation requirement and added an alternative test: a school can qualify by meeting four of five items, namely a registered Utah business, published tuition, documentation of at least 17 students, a nonresidential site and two years in operation. It also added pre-approval, annual audits by the Legislative Auditor General and new family-service rules for Odyssey. We have not read the enrolled bill, so confirm details with Odyssey.
The calendar
The 2026-27 school application ran May 1 to June 1, and families had to select schools by June 15. Odyssey has not announced the 2027-28 window, but a school that wants families to select it next spring should be ready to apply in the same season.
Getting paid and refunds
Once approved, the school confirms each student's enrollment in the Odyssey portal, which releases the $8,000 private-school amount for tuition. Any refund on scholarship-paid tuition must go back to Odyssey rather than to the parent, so build that into your withdrawal policy.
Microschools and church programs
Utah's microschool laws, 2023 SB 166 and 2024 SB 13, let a micro-education entity of up to 150 students operate in any zoning district. That makes it easier for a Salt Lake congregation to open a program, but the Utah Fits All private-school amount still depends on Odyssey approval. A part-time program can instead apply as a marketplace provider for home-based families.
Common questions
Does a Salt Lake private school need accreditation to accept Utah Fits All?
A Salt Lake private school does not need accreditation to accept Utah Fits All. Odyssey's school requirements list accreditation as optional, and reporting on 2026 HB 467 says the law added an alternative test of four of five items, such as published tuition and at least 17 students. The school still needs full-time instruction and a public tuition website.
When can a Salt Lake school apply to accept Utah Fits All for 2027-28?
Odyssey has not announced the 2027-28 school application window for Utah Fits All. For 2026-27, schools applied between May 1 and June 1, before families selected schools by June 15. A Salt Lake or Tooele school should prepare its website disclosures and EIN paperwork during the winter so it is ready when Odyssey opens the next window.
How does a Salt Lake school handle a refund for a Utah Fits All student?
A Salt Lake school that refunds tuition paid with Utah Fits All must return the money to Odyssey, not to the parent, under Odyssey's approved-school rules. Schools should write that into their withdrawal and refund policy, which must already be published on the school's website as a condition of Utah Fits All approval.