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Understanding Utah fits all: A guide for homeschool families

Discover Utah Fits All, the ESA program supporting homeschool families with funding for educational expenses.
Lisa Thorsen
Written byLisa Thorsen
3 min read
Key takeaways
  • Utah's Fits All program, launched in 2024, provides homeschool families with $4,000 for children ages 5-11 and $6,000 for ages 12-18 to cover approved educational expenses
  • Despite a current legal challenge, the program remains operational, allowing families to manage funds through the Odyssey platform while ensuring compliance with spending guidelines.

Utah Fits All is Utah's universal ESA program that launched in 2024. It provides families with education funding in digital wallets for approved expenses beyond public school.

As of 2024, 12 states have enacted universal or near-universal Education Savings Account (ESA) programs, with Arizona's program alone serving over 75,000 students — making state-funded homeschooling more accessible than ever (EdChoice, 2024). Research from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) shows that homeschooled students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized academic achievement tests.

What is Utah fits all?

Utah Fits All started in 2024 as Utah's universal Education Savings Account (ESA) program. This makes Utah the 10th state to offer ESAs to families. The program gives state education funds into digital wallets. Families can use this cash for approved educational expenses instead of sending kids to public school. The amount you get varies: private school students get $8,000 each year. Homeschoolers receive $4,000 for kids ages 5-11 and $6,000 for ages 12-18. Families manage this through the Odyssey platform, where they can shop from a list of approved vendors or ask for reimbursements.

Approved expenses

You can use the scholarship for many educational needs. It covers private school tuition, curriculum, textbooks, tutoring, educational software, technology, computer hardware, standardized testing fees, and specialized services for students with disabilities. You can also use up to 20% of your total scholarship for extracurricular activities and physical education. Renting musical instruments is allowed, but buying them isn’t. For transport, you can claim up to $750 each year. However, food, entertainment, general furniture, and recreational equipment don’t qualify, even if you think they’re for education.

Current legal status

In April 2025, a district court judge ruled Utah Fits All unconstitutional. But all sides agreed the program can keep going while the appeal is in process at the Utah Supreme Court. There’s no set timeline for when a final decision will come. Families using the program should know they don’t have to repay anything. Legal experts say families who used funds properly are safe under 'good faith reliance.' The program is still accepting applications and giving out funds during this time.

The bottom line

Utah Fits All offers valuable education funding for families in Utah. Whether you're looking at private school tuition or homeschool costs, this program recognizes that homeschool expenses are usually lower. If you're already enrolled, keep using your funds wisely while the legal case unfolds. New applicants should create their Utah Tax Commission TAP account before the April 1 portal opens to make income verification easier. The Odyssey platform simplifies purchasing, but remember, reimbursements need proof of educational purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lisa Thorsen
Written by
Lisa Thorsen

Co-founder, BetterSchool

Lisa is the co-founder of BetterSchool and a homeschool mom of three. BetterSchool administers the largest independent homeschool community in the country — over 350,000 families across all 50 states.

When COVID hit, Lisa and her husband pulled their children out of school and hit the road. Homeschooling wasn't the plan — it was a necessity. But somewhere along the way, the family fell in love with it: the time together, the ability to tailor lessons to each child's interests, learning at their own pace, the freedom to travel, eating healthy on their own schedule, and the countless other benefits that come with homeschooling.

As they traveled, Lisa kept discovering incredible hands-on learning experiences that most homeschool families had no way of finding. She built BetterSchool to make it easy for every family to find and book the experiences that make learning come alive.

Through her community, Lisa has helped hundreds of thousands of parents navigate homeschooling, while also helping local businesses find and serve the homeschool community. She is the former managing partner of a law firm focused on business law and mergers and acquisitions — BetterSchool is her second technology startup. She holds a J.D. from California Western School of Law and a B.A. from Penn State.

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What is an education savings account (ESA)?Understanding extracurricular activities for homeschoolers

Table of Contents

  • What is Utah fits all?
  • Approved expenses
  • Current legal status
  • The bottom line
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