Student Funding

Utah Fits All Scholarship accounts may be used for education expenses and services beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Education expenses can include private school tuition and fees; tutoring services; testing fees; special needs services and therapies; individual classes and activities; educational materials and curriculum costs; contracted services; including individual classes and extracurricular activities from a local education agency (public school); and numerous other approved expenses for the ESA student’s education.

Families may utilize up to $750 per school year of Education Savings Account (ESA) funds for transportation services for the ESA student. Utah Fits All Scholarship Program students receive $8,000 for their educational expenses. ESA students attending a local education agency part-time may receive prorated awards in proportion to their enrollment in public schools. Accounts do not allow for carryover, and remaining funds will be recaptured at the end of each school year to be disbursed the following year.

The Utah legislature has provided for $80 million in annual appropriations for the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program, allowing for up to five percent to be spent on administrative costs of running the program. If enrollment exceeds available program funding, accounts shall be awarded in the following order: students who used an account in the previous school year; students with a family income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($60,000 for a family of four in 2023–24), students with a sibling who uses an ESA at the time of application or in the immediately preceding school year, to students with a family income between 200 percent and 555 percent of the federal poverty level ($165,000 for a family of four in 2023-2024).

(Last Updated May 31, 2024) 

Student Eligibility

Students must be residents of the state of Utah, and eligible to participate in public school in kindergarten through grade 12 to access the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. Students may not receive funds from the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program while also receiving funding from either the Carson Smith Scholarship Program or the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program, Utah’s two educational choice programs for students with special needs. Students may receive prorated funding from the program while participating in a local education agency. Home-based ESA students are also eligible.

(Last Updated May 31, 2024) 

EdChoice Expert Feedback

The Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is the state’s first education savings account and the only school choice program in Utah available to all students. The previously enacted Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program (voucher) and Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program (tax-credit scholarship) are designed for students with special learning needs. The Utah Fits All Scholarship Program is a historical step for granting students and their families educational freedom and choice in Utah. While a significant victory, several opportunities are available to expand the program and reduce barriers to school choice.

Funding for the program is limited by appropriations and restricts participation. Accounts are funded at 84 percent of what would be spent on a student at a public school. The ratio and ESA value of $8,000 is healthy in comparison to other programs. The legislature’s appropriation of $80 million, however, limits enrollment to no more than 10,000 students, or less than one percent of current Utah students. This will further limit the number of students able to enroll if future legislatures do not increase appropriations.

The program additionally provides for increased teacher pay: $8,400 per educator if the ESA program is funded and in effect, $4,200 if not. Given the broad staffing surge trend, this is a noteworthy shift in prioritizing education dollars to the classroom.

To expand access, policymakers should include an escalator providing increased funding to the program automatically as participation increases without requiring legislative action. Increasing ESA awards to be equal to per-pupil spending would provide access to greater, more equitable educational choice. Funding all, or part of the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program through existing state education funding sources would allow the per-pupil expenditure to follow students, increasing ESA awards without additional liabilities on the state budget.

Families are required to reapply each year for the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. Students, or their parents, are additionally required to annually submit a portfolio describing their educational opportunities and achievements to remain eligible. These requirements on students and families create an unnecessary burden and increase administrative costs for the program, reducing the amount of funding that can go to ESAs.

The state board is required to follow existing Utah procurement rules and issue a request for proposals when selecting a program manager. However, the program creates additional regulations that an organization be a non-profit entity without any affiliations to international organizations. Requiring a procurement process to be followed supports transparency and accountability when choosing a program manager and ensures a quality administrator is selected. The additional requirement on potential organizations disqualifies experienced, otherwise qualified candidates, potentially driving the administrative costs higher and limiting eligible program managers.

Removing additional requirements on families, program managers, and providers will allow for lower administrative costs, more accessible participation and increase education choice in Utah.

(Last Updated May 31, 2024) 

Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations

• Income Limit: None, Priority given to previous ESA holders, siblings of ESA holders, and families under 200% x Poverty
• Prior year public school requirement: None
• Geographic limit: Statewide
• Enrollment Cap: None
• Account Value: $8,000 (2024-25)
• Testing Mandates: Parents may request testing through the program manager.
• Budget Cap: $80 million (2024-25)

Parent Requirements:

• Only use funds for qualified expenses under Utah Code 53F-6-401.
• Annual reapplication.
• To maintain eligibility, submit a portfolio describing the student’s educational opportunities and achievements under the program.
• Statement in application by parents that the qualifying provider selected for the student’s enrollment or engagement is capable of providing education services for the student.
• Assumes financial responsibility for the education of the student, including expenses incurred beyond those paid for by the ESA.

(Last Updated May 31, 2024) 

Governing Statutes

Utah Code 53E-1-201

Utah Code 53F-6-101

Utah Code 53F-6-401 through 53F-6-414

(Last Updated May 31, 2024) 

Legal History

In 2024, opponents sued, trying to stop the new ESA program from launching. The Partnership for School Choice (Institute for Justice and EdChoice Legal Advocates) has stepped up and will ask the court to allow it to defend the case on behalf of parents who intend to use the program.

(Last Updated May 31, 2024)