Utah increases school voucher funding by $20 million

Utah's school voucher program is set to receive an additional $20 million for the next academic year. This funding increase brings the total program budget to over $100 million after Governor Spencer Cox approved the 2026 public education budget. The increase comes as the "Utah Fits All" scholarship program is undergoing significant changes. The program has not yet completed its first full year. Recently, the Utah State Board of Education ended its contract with ACE Scholarships, which was managing the program. The decision was made due to complexities in the program’s operation. The program offered $8,000 scholarships last year to about 10,000 students, whether they were homeschooled or attended private school. However, students had to be enrolled outside of public school to qualify for the vouchers. Scholarship money could be used for various educational expenses, including tuition and extracurricular activities. Next year will see new limits on spending for certain extracurricular activities and different scholarship amounts based on students' ages and whether they are homeschooled. For example, homeschoolers aged 5-11 will receive $4,000, and those aged 12-18 will get $6,000. Students in private schools will continue to receive the full $8,000. This restructuring aims to distribute the $100 million in scholarships to more families. Last year, 80% of voucher recipients were homeschooled. The Utah State Board of Education expects to appoint a new program manager by May 16. Applications for the scholarship began on January 21 for renewals and on March 3 for new applicants, with the portal remaining open until May 1.