Utah school vouchers will cover extracurriculars, not just private school tuition

SALT LAKE CITY — School vouchers that go to students’ private education can also cover extracurriculars — from swim lessons to gymnastics classes.

The 2023 law that created the school vouchers, also called the Utah Fits All Scholarship, includes these activities as valid educational expenses. The scholarship website says families could earn up to $8,000 per student, which can be put toward private school tuition, educational software and hardware, and after-school programs.

Examples of after-school activities include Flipside Tumbling and Trampoline, where students can learn to compete on a fifty-foot trampoline and a foam pit. 

Also included is Snake River Strings, where kids can practice 19 instruments from 30 different teachers.

Currently, a company called Alliance for Choice in Education is overseeing what providers get on the list for parents to choose from. That list is about 150 strong.

ACE also decides which students earn the scholarship, and their website indicates priority will be given to families at 200% and below the federal poverty line. For a household of three people in Utah, that means $51,640 and below.

Many of the programs also cater to homeschoolers and micro-schools, which are on the rise here in Utah.

Related:

• Dickson: The magic of peer tutors in middle school
• Utah lawmaker discusses arming school workers