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Utah Fits All Updates: Provider Fairs, Odyssey Advocacy & News

Written by UEFA Team | Jun 26, 2025 3:00:00 PM

We’ve Been Busy Bringing Education Options to Your Doorstep

If you’ve attended one of our provider fairs before, you know they’re something truly special. What we ♥️ most is seeing families come together—parents with children in tow, exploring a wide variety of options that empower them to customize learning in ways that fit their values, meet their expectations, and support their children’s unique needs.

The UEFA Northern Utah Provider Fair was a tremendous success, bringing together a vibrant community of education providers and families for a day filled with connection, collaboration, and valuable resources. The energy throughout the event was inspiring as attendees explored a wide range of services and goods tailored to meet the learning needs of families in the northern region of our state. With strong participation, engaging booths, and meaningful conversations, the fair truly highlighted the strength and unity of the Utah Education Fits All network.

A special thank you to Layton Christian Academy for hosting, Outschool as our Title Sponsor, and the many Community Sponsors and Exhibitors — your participation made this fair a success for the families who attended.  

Announcing Upcoming Provider Fairs and Events

Missed our Northern Utah Provider Fair in Layton? No worries — we’ve got you covered! First, our Provider Directory is always available online, so you can explore incredible options anytime, anywhere. Second, we’re excited to announce that our next two fairs are already on the calendar — and you won’t want to miss them!

📅 From Fairs to Festivities — Save these Dates!

October 18, 2025
UEFA Fall Provider Fair at Juan Diego High School

January 24, 2026
National School Choice Week Event

April 11, 2026
➜ UEFA Spring Provider Fair at BYU

Stay tuned — more info and registration opportunities for our Fall Fair coming soon! Sign up for our newsletters for updates (as a Utah family) (as a provider)

Odyssey Program Updates — We’re Advocating for You

We understand how challenging this planning season has been for families, and we recognize the frustration many of you are feeling. The transition brought many changes to the scholarship timeline, resulting in delays that have impacted not only this school year but also preparation for the upcoming school year.

Supporting families remains our top priority! We’ve heard directly from many of you seeking answers and clarification about timelines and program operations. Please know that we are in regular communication with Odyssey and are committed to sharing your questions, concerns, and feedback. We continue to advocate for greater clarity and timely updates so families have the information needed to make informed decisions for their children’s education. We will always work collaboratively with all partners to advocate for families and ensure the program operates in alignment with the law.

All available program information from Odyssey, including email communications and timelines, can be found on their website under Utah Fits All

Here are direct links to specific categories of information ⬇

Transition from ACE to Odyssey
UFA Student Application Information
UFA Funds & Uses
UFA Information for Providers
UFA Information for Private Schools

Providers — you can apply now to join the Odyssey marketplace

How to Complete the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program Provider Application
Provider Application

Private Schools — new information has been posted providing guidance

UFA Approved Private School Policy
Step by Step Guide: Utah Fits All School Registration

Catching Attention: Utah Fits All in the Media

A recent media report, Here’s how Utah parents are spending their kids’ school vouchers, confirms what we already knew — the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program has been used responsibly by parents to purchase qualifying expenses for the education of their children. 

Of course, the reporting sought to highlight controversial expenditures, all of which were permitted and approved by the program manager, as well as categories that have since been prohibited by HB455. There was no fraudulent spending accounted for. Despite taking some negative angles, the report served to support what we know to be true… The burgeoning popularity of ESA programs is about recognizing and celebrating the agency of parents in their children’s education — This shift is a harbinger of a more dynamic, responsive, and inclusive educational landscape, where the needs and choices of families take center stage!

🗞️News Article Summation

The Tribune sorted expenses into Six Major Categories (if you are able to access the article, the 8 pages outlining expenditures by subcategory is very informative):

Top Five (known) Purchase Areas:

  1. Private Schools - $24 million
  2. Electronics, Software and Applications - $5.3 million
  3. Microschools - $2.1 million
  4. Music and Voice Lessons - $1.5 million
  5. Curriculum, Workbooks and Textbooks - $1.4 million

The transactions from August 2024 to March 2025 amounted to about $61.5 million. All were approved by ACE Scholarships.
Over the course of the program’s first eight months, families collectively used their vouchers on more than 7,300 different vendors.
The largest chunk of money went to expenses that The Tribune categorized as academics and learning – about $36 million overall, or nearly 60% of the money spent.
The analysis of more than 180,000 transactions found that most of the money went to private schools and other academic institutions and resources.
➜ Amazon accounted for the most money spent at a single vendor, raking in $5.8 million through more than 51,000 transactions. 
Other retail giants like Best Buy, Costco and Walmart helped round out the top 25 list.
Purchases through Amazon also bumped The Tribune’s spending category “other” into the second spot at $8.8 million. That category included subcategories like purchases at thrift stores and pawn shops.
➜ Extracurriculars accounted for $7.3 million in spending, The Tribune found, and parents spent about $1 million or more of that on three subcategories:

  • Music and voice lessons: $1.5 million
  • Dance, gymnastics, cheer and acrobatics: $1.3 million
  • Musical instruments and supplies: $996,461.45

Families spent $1.9 million on field trips or other enrichment activities.
Setting up classroom space at home totaled $6.7 million, The Tribune found, including spending $641,214.37 on furniture and $339,800.93 on internet.
➜ The smallest amount The Tribune sorted went to physical and health education, with $676,221

Cheers!