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UFA 26/27 Approved Private School Policy

Andrea S
Updated

The UFA 2026/2027 Approved School application period closed on June 1st.

All private schools applying to the Odyssey platform are subject to approval by the Odyssey team. The Odyssey team will review each private school individually by utilizing the Utah Fits All law, relevant rules and regulations, and Odyssey’s own discretion, to ensure it is an eligible school for the Utah Fits All program. Further details are provided below on the requirements for private schools. 

Schools that do not meet the criteria below are not eligible to receive tuition via the Odyssey platform. However, these schools may qualify to be providers in our marketplace and offer curriculum and educational services to UFA students. This allows parents who would like to choose non-approved schools for their students the ability to do so.

Approved Private Schools

The following requirements apply to all approved private schools regardless of student headcount:

53F-6-401 defines private schools as “a full-time, tuition-bearing educational institution where the student receives the majority of the student's academic instruction.” Schools must meet the following criteria to meet this definition:

  • Full time: Instruction must be required and provided for a minimum of three days per week.
  • Tuition-bearing: The school must charge a single, comprehensive tuition rate that covers enrollment as a whole, rather than charging per course or per subject. Individual courses and subjects can be provided on the marketplace. 
  • Majority of the student’s instruction: The school must be the student's primary school, not a supplement or enrichment program, and provide instruction by an instructor other than the student's parent.

All schools must maintain and operate a functioning website that includes:

  • Clearly posted tuition costs;
  • All additional fees required during the school year;
  • The school's refund and reimbursement policies in an easily accessible location;
  • Contact information for the school's administration; 
  • The school's address; and
  • Is publicly viewable.

A social media page or group is not a sufficient website. 

Private schools must provide: 

  • Documentation verifying the school’s federal employer identification number (EIN).
  • The private school’s address. 
  • The private school’s contact information.
  • Accreditation documentation (optional, not a program requirement)
  • Provide the following written disclosures to Odyssey. These disclosures must be made publicly available for parents:
    1. Tuition Disclosure: Detailing tuition costs and additional fees the school will require a parent to pay during the school year. The school must also provide their refund policy and have the policy posted on their website.
    2. Services Disclosure: Detailing the education services that the school will provide to the scholarship student and the skill or grade level of the curriculum in which the prospective scholarship student will participate.

All private schools must attest:

  • That if a scholarship student withdraws and the school's refund policy provides for a tuition refund, the school shall remit any refund directly to Odyssey for deposit back into the student's scholarship account in accordance with the school's standard refund policies. Under no circumstance is an approved school to directly refund a scholarship student or the parent of a scholarship student directly.
  • That scholarship students will not be charged different amounts or subject to different refund terms than other students enrolled in the same program.
  • The private school will not require a scholarship student to sign a contract waiving the student's rights to transfer to another qualifying provider during the school year.
  • The private school will report to the Odyssey within five business days when a scholarship student withdraws from the school during the school year.
  • The private school will comply with the antidiscrimination provisions of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000d.

Private Schools with 150 Or More Enrolled Students

In addition to the requirements above, a private school with 150 or more enrolled students must comply with the following requirements in order to be eligible to receive scholarship funds on behalf of a scholarship student:

  • Submit to Odyssey verification that the private school has obtained:
    • An agreed upon procedures engagement conducted by an independent licensed certified public accountant (CPA) that addresses financial solvency and working capital adequacy; or
    • Verification of an audit conducted by an independent licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards that presents financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
  • Submit the following individuals to a nationwide, fingerprint-based criminal background check and ongoing monitoring, in accordance with Section 53G-11-402, as a condition for employment or appointment, as authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109-248:
    • An employee who does not hold:
      • a current Utah educator license issued by the state board under Title 53E, Chapter 6, Education Professional Licensure; or
      • if the private school is not physically located in Utah, a current educator license in the state where the private school is physically located
    • A contract employee.

Odyssey will only be confirming the verification by an independent licensed certified public accountant (CPA) has occurred within the past 12 months. The finding must confirm the school is financially solvent with adequate working capital to maintain operations; and does not include the underlying audit report or detailed financial information. Odyssey will not conduct, commission, or be involved in the audit or agreed upon procedures engagement; and will not review detailed financial records of the private school beyond the verification.

A private school is not eligible to be approved if:

  • The private school fails to submit an application or recertify within the application deadline.
  • The private school is solely owned and operated by a parent of a scholarship student who would receive scholarship funds directly as payment for their time spent educating their own child.
  • The private school acts as a consultant, clearing house, or intermediary that connects a scholarship student with or otherwise facilitates the student's engagement with a program or service that another entity provides.
  • The private school fails to provide any required documentation or provides documentation Odyssey determines insufficient to meet program requirements.
  • The private school requires a scholarship student to sign a contract waiving the scholarship student's right to transfer to another qualifying provider during the school year.
  • Is an entity that distributes, rebates, or passes through to families any portion of enrollment-based funding received by an LEA; shares common ownership, management, officers, or directors with such an entity described; or is structured to circumvent these requirements.
  • The private school has been found to have previously been found to violate any program rules and policies.

Odyssey retains discretion to determine whether a private school meets the standards necessary to participate as an eligible school under the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program. In addition to the specific requirements outlined above, Odyssey may deny or revoke approval if, in its professional judgment, the school presents operational, financial, legal, or compliance risks that could adversely impact the integrity, efficiency, or lawful administration of the program. 

If an approved private school is reported to be in violation of any of the above requirements or is reported to have presented false information during their application, Odyssey will launch an investigation. Following the investigation Odyssey will inform the school and complainant of its findings. If the school is found to be in violation of any UFA policy, Utah state law, federal regulations, or to have falsified information during its application the school will be removed and barred from the program, and the parents with UFA students attending the school will be notified.




 

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