Utah legislature seeks more money, parameters for Utah Fits All Scholarship

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah lawmakers are asking the state to double the money allocated to the state’s Utah Fits All Scholarship program and tighten up what families can buy with the funding.

The scholarship, implemented in 2023, allows eligible families to apply for up to $8,000 in state funding to offset the cost of homeschooling, certain extracurriculars, and school materials for students who choose not to be enrolled full-time in public school.

Supporters of the Utah Fits All program say it enhances school choice for education. However, critics call the scholarship a voucher program because it also allows public money to pay for private school education.

Students qualify for the program based on family income — those with a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level are granted scholarships first. Families with income at or below 200 to 555% of the federal poverty level are granted scholarships next. Any remaining scholarships are opened up to all K-12 students in Utah.

The Utah Education Association has filed a lawsuit over what it argues is an “unconstitutional” voucher program, arguing Utah’s Constitution dictates that income tax money must fund public education, not private schools.

Rep. Candace Pierrucci (R – Herriman) is the sponsor of H.B. 455 — a bill that has been dubbed a “clean-up bill” — which would strengthen residency requirements and the income verification process for those applying.

Interestingly, the bill would also specifically prohibit the scholarship money from being used for “non-educational expenses” like chaperone expenses, entertainment season tickets, subscriptions to entertainment venues, ski passes or lift tickets, clothing, and furniture, among other costs.

If the bill is passed, scholarship money used for extracurriculars would not be able to exceed 20% of the total scholarship amount. A current list of prohibited items is available online.

“[The scholarship is] totally transparent on the accounting [of where the money is going],” said Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R – Draper) when asked whether the need for this bill admits that there hasn’t been enough accountability for the program.

“I think what it does is says, ‘OK, maybe the program manager needed a little bit more direction on [what is an] appropriate type of expense’ but all the expenses are accounted for,” Cullimore said. “We can show where every dollar went and we’re just trying to tighten that up a little bit,” he said.

“Sixty percent of the recipients are using [the money] for homeschool,” Cullimore said. “In other states, the money has been predominantly been used for private schools… The cleanup bill is just looking to put some more parameters on the uses of the scholarship to ensure that the program manager has the right direction on what should be allowable and what should not.”

Cullimore acknowledged that there have been plenty of stories about whether expenses were being approved appropriately.

“Some true, some not,” he said. “Certain things have been approved and then another parent makes the same request and it gets denied. And so I think there’s been some confusion for the program manager on what’s appropriate.”

The ask for more funding

Cullimore has also asked for the state to continue giving $80 million every year to help give out more scholarships.

In the legislature, there are one-time funds and ongoing funds. This year’s $80 million ask would be ongoing funds — meaning that, every year, the program would get $80 million in public funds to operate.

Since 2024, funding for the scholarship doubled from $40 million to $80 million, which Cullimore said funds about 10,000 students. He argued the program should get the additional money lawmakers are seeking because there are currently 27,000 program applicants.

“It’s a tight budget year, we put the request out there,” Cullimore said. “It’s likely to come down, may substantially come down… 80 million doesn’t even fund the full waiting list.”

Democrats, however, argue that any money coming out of public education hurts.

“It’s going to hurt families, hurt public education, it’s going to hurt teachers and hurt the programs that are in [school],” said Minority Whip Karen Kwan (D- Kearns), pointing also to reductions in the income tax over the last several years.

“We have so much need in our schools right now, to have more money move outside of that public ed budget into The Utah Fits All, it’s the wrong direction at this point,” she said.