Utah Fits All: The Good, The Bad, and How We Got Here

The Utah Fits All Scholarship underwent major policy changes this year. Some of these changes improve the program, while others present new challenges. Here’s a breakdown of what’s working, what’s concerning, and how we got here.

The Good: Strengthening the Program

Rollover Funds Provide Flexibility for Families

One of the most significant improvements is the rollover provision for unspent funds. This change allows families to save unused scholarship money for future years, creating the right incentive for responsible spending.

This is particularly important because educational expenses increase as students get older. Elementary-aged children typically have lower costs, while high school students require more expensive courses, materials, and college prep resources. With this rollover, families can now plan ahead and budget more effectively for their child’s education.

More Funding, More Access

The Utah Legislature allocated an additional $20 million to the scholarship fund. This will expand access to families, but unfortunately, it still won’t be enough to cover everyone who applied last year. 

In addition to the $20 million in Utah Fits All, the legislature also added $4 million to the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship. This scholarship is specifically designed for students with special needs. 

While it’s encouraging to see lawmakers investing in education choice, there is still work to do to ensure every eligible student has access to this opportunity.

State Oversight Adds Accountability

Another positive change is that the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) will now directly oversee the program. While some may be wary of government oversight, this is ultimately a good thing.

Currently, there are no strong mechanisms in place to prevent fraud, waste, or misuse of funds. While there’s no evidence of widespread fraud, this is still taxpayer money. Having a clear financial accountability structure ensures the program remains credible and sustainable.

USBE announced that the contract with the current program manager will be canceled on May 15. The State Board will be putting out a new request for a program manager with the hopes of hiring someone under the new contract requirements by May 16. There will likely be some disruption to services provided by the program manager.

Importantly, the current program manager will continue handling the day-to-day operations, maintaining consistency for families already using the scholarship.

The Bad: Funding Levels Create Unintended Consequences

The biggest downside to this year’s policy changes is the introduction of different funding levels based on how a family chooses to educate their child. These changes include:

• Private school students will continue receiving the full $8,000 per student.
• Home-educating families were reduced from $8,000 to $4,000 for elementary students and $6,000 for secondary students

This change is disappointing, especially for microschool founders and part-time programs that provide structured learning just a few days a week. Many families rely on these hybrid models, and cutting their funding may limit their access to quality education options.

Legislators believe this will allow many more families to access the program. However, it’s unclear whether this will actually work as intended. With limited funds and high demand, the gap between available scholarships and families in need remains a pressing issue.

It’s important to note that the bill’s sponsor fought hard to keep homeschoolers in the program at all. There was pressure from other lawmakers to limit Utah Fits All to private school students only. While this funding reduction is disappointing, it was likely the best compromise available to ensure homeschoolers could still participate.

How We Got Here: The Battle to Keep Homeschoolers Included

One of the biggest surprises to lawmakers was the overwhelming number of homeschool families applying for Utah Fits All.

• The program manager reported that 50% of students use the funds for homeschooling.
• Other estimates suggest that homeschoolers make up as much as 80% of the program.

Legislators were not expecting this. Many assumed the scholarship would primarily fund private school tuition, not alternative education methods. As a result, some lawmakers pushed to remove homeschool access entirely—effectively turning Utah Fits All into a private school voucher program.

Ultimately, homeschool families remained eligible, but the funding reduction reflects legislators’ uncertainty about nontraditional education models.

The Clash of Education Paradigms

At the heart of this debate is a fundamental difference in how people define education.

Most lawmakers—and much of the public—picture education as a traditional school model:

• A large school building
• Students sitting in rows of desks
• Teachers delivering structured lessons

By contrast, homeschool families often take a more flexible, individualized approach:

• Learning through hands-on experiences like nature walks and museum visits
• Using games and real-world activities to teach math and science
• Reading novels, biographies, and using other primary sources instead of textbooks
• Taking martial arts or dance for PE instead of traditional school sports

When legislators heard that homeschool families were using Utah Fits All for Tae Kwon Do, art classes, and private music lessons, some became skeptical. They worried that students weren’t being taught reading, writing, and math—even though homeschoolers often far exceed public school students in academic performance.

This cultural divide made some lawmakers nervous about expanding the program further.

Moving forward, it’s critical for homeschool families to communicate what their children are learning in ways that legislators can understand. When families highlight deep dives into classic works, accelerated progress in mathematics, and structured speech and debate training, they help demonstrate that homeschool education is just as rigorous—if not more so—than traditional schools.

Looking Ahead: How Parents Can Help Protect the Program

As Utah Fits All continues to evolve, parents must stay engaged to ensure the program remains strong and accessible to all families.

To expand funding and prevent further restrictions, families should:

• Share success stories with lawmakers—especially those that emphasize academic rigor.
• Explain how funding helps their child receive a quality education tailored to their needs.
• Advocate for full funding so that every student who qualifies can receive a scholarship.

The more legislators hear about the academic benefits of this program, the more likely they are to support its growth. 

Utah Fits All isn’t perfect, but it remains one of the best education choice policies in the country. With continued advocacy, we can protect and expand this opportunity—ensuring that every child in Utah has access to the education that fits them best.