Utah’s school voucher program will see a $20 million bump next academic year, bringing the state’s total spending to more than $100 million after Gov. Spencer Cox approved the 2026 public education budget on Tuesday.
The increase comes amid sweeping changes to the “Utah Fits All” scholarship program, which has yet to complete its first full year of implementation.
Earlier this month, the Utah State Board of Education terminated its contract with ACE Scholarships, the organization it hired in November 2023 to manage the program.
Ryan Bartlett, a spokesperson for the USBE, previously told The Salt Lake Tribune that the contract was “being terminated for convenience.”
“We’ve gained some insights into the complexities and the operational nuances of the program in practice,” Bartlett said. “Because of those complexities, and the nature of the program, [USBE] determined that at this time, right now, we would terminate the contract with ACE Scholarships.”
Changes to scholarship amounts and new spending restrictions are also on the way.
Last year, the program provided 10,000 eligible students with an $8,000 scholarship, regardless of whether recipients were homeschooled or attended private school. The main rule: In order to receive the voucher money, students cannot be enrolled in public school full time.
Once awarded, the scholarship could then be spent on a range of “educational expenses,” including private school tuition, tutoring, homeschooling expenses and even entirely on extracurricular activities, such as violin or swim lessons.
That will change next academic year: There will be new limits on spending for certain extracurriculars — as well as varying scholarship amounts, depending on a student’s age and whether they are homeschooled.
Homeschoolers age 5-11 will receive a $4,000 scholarship, for example, and homeschoolers age 12-18 will qualify for $6,000. Students attending private schools will still receive the full $8,000, regardless of age.
This means the more than $100 million in taxpayer-backed scholarships can be spread across more recipients. Last year, 80% of voucher recipients were homeschooled, lawmakers have said.
USBE expects to have the next program manager in place by May 16, officials previously told The Tribune.
Applications for the Utah Fits All scholarship opened to renewing applicants on Jan. 21 and to new applicants on March 3. Families can continue to apply through the Utah Fits All website until the portal closes May 1.
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