top of page
Utah Private Schools Branding (1).png
Snow-Covered Mountains

Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship

The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship, administered by the Children First Education Fund (CFEF), helps Utah students with qualifying disabilities receive scholarships to attend participating private schools.

​

For many families, finding the right educational environment is life-changing, but affordability can be a significant barrier. Through the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship, eligible students can receive financial assistance that makes a high-quality private education more accessible.

What Is the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship?

The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship is a Utah school choice program designed to provide educational options for students with qualifying disabilities. The program is administered by Children First Education Fund (CFEF), Utah's scholarship granting organization, and is supported through state-authorized funding and tax-credit donations.

​

Scholarship funds may be used for approved educational expenses, including:

  • Private school tuition

  • Required books and instructional materials

  • Educational supplies

  • Approved therapies and educational services

  • ​

The goal is simple: give families the opportunity to choose the educational setting that best meets their child's unique learning needs.

Benefits for Eligible Families

Families who qualify for the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship may receive financial assistance that helps reduce the cost of private school education.

​

The scholarship can help make it possible to:

  • Choose the educational environment that best fits your child

  • Access specialized instruction and support

  • Continue receiving scholarship funding while eligibility requirements are maintained

  • Invest in your child's long-term educational success

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible?

1. The student and the student’s custodial parent or legal guardian must reside within the State of Utah throughout the entire school year.

 

2. The student must have a qualifying disability as defined under the federal Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The disability must be verified within the prior 36 months by one of the following documents:

     a. Individual Education Plan (IEP)
    b. Assessment Team Member Record (ATMR)
    c. Multidisciplinary Team Evaluation (MDT)

 

3. The student must be eligible to participate in preschool or kindergarten through grade 12 in public school. According to Utah State Law, preschoolers are allowed to use scholarship funds only at an approved private school preschool program. Preschoolers who are homeschooled are not eligible to participate in the CSOS program

 

4.The student must not be attending public or charter school when the scholarship is awarded. An application can be submitted while a student is enrolled in public school, but before the award can be received, the student must have unenrolled from public school and have been accepted at a private school or declared to be homeschooled.

 

5.The student cannot receive the legacy Carson Smith scholarship or the Utah Fits All scholarship in the same year of this scholarship.

​

How Do I Apply?

Families submit scholarship applications through Children First Education Fund. 
 

Can current students apply?

If your child meets the eligibility requirements, they may qualify. 

bottom of page