Understanding the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship: A Comprehensive Guide

The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship (CSOS) in Utah provides financial assistance to students with disabilities who wish to attend private schools. Understanding the eligibility requirements, application process, and program specifics is crucial for families seeking to utilize this opportunity. This article gives a detailed overview of the CSOS program, incorporating recent legislative changes and practical information for prospective applicants.

Legislative Updates and Program Administration

The Utah State Legislature made significant changes in 2024 by merging the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship program with the existing Carson Smith Scholarship program. The newly combined program is administered by the Children First Education Fund (CFEF). This merger aims to streamline the process and expand access to private school education for students with disabilities.

A key aspect of the legislation is the preservation of benefits for students already enrolled in the "legacy" Carson Smith Scholarship program. These students can choose to remain in the legacy program, with all its original terms and conditions maintained under the administration of the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). However, the legacy program is closed to new enrollments.

Transferring from Legacy Carson Smith to CSOS

Students currently participating in the legacy Carson Smith program have the option to transfer to the new CSOS program. To facilitate this transition, legacy Carson Smith students who meet the eligibility standards will be automatically approved for the 2025-26 school year.

Application Requirements for Legacy Students Transferring to CSOS:

Legacy Carson Smith students are required to complete the CFEF application by the specified deadlines.
Review of applications for the 2025-26 school year will begin on June 15.
Scholarships will be prorated based on the quarter in which the transfer occurs.

Quarterly Transfer Deadlines:

Quarter 1: Application due by August 15
Quarter 2: Application due by October 15
Quarter 3: Application due by January 15

Important Notes for Transfers:

No new transfer applications will be accepted after January 15, as a new application for the upcoming school year will be released.
Quarter 4 transfers are limited to existing current-year applicants who could not be awarded in earlier quarters.
Once a CSOS application is awarded, parents must submit a withdrawal request to Legacy Carson Smith by the last day of that quarter’s deadline month.
CFEF requires an application to create a student account.
Students with a current determination of eligibility are automatically approved, and scholarship awards will be based on household size and income or the service minutes in a student’s determination (if applicable).

Legacy Carson Smith families can begin the CSOS application.

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Information for Former Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Students

Students who previously received a scholarship from Children First Education Fund will continue to be funded in the 2025-26 school year, but these students are required to update their eligibility information. They can do so by going into the parent portal and updating their financial information and disability verification information if necessary. This will help CFEF determine the scholarship award amount for next year. The portal is now available to do this.

Eligibility Requirements for the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship

To be eligible for the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship, students must meet specific criteria related to residency, disability, and school enrollment.

Key Eligibility Criteria:

Residency: Participation in the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship is for students who reside in the State of Utah throughout the entire school year. The student’s custodial parent or legal guardian must also be a Utah resident.
Disability: The student must have a qualifying disability as defined under the federal Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) verifiable with documentation within the prior 3 years by an individual education plan (IEP), or multidisciplinary team evaluation (MDT).
School Enrollment: The student must be eligible to participate in prekindergarten or K-12 Utah public schools. Home-educated students may participate in the program. A student cannot attend a public school while participating in the program.
Private School Admission: The student has enrolled in, or has been admitted to an eligible private school designated as a “School that has Previously Served Students with Disabilities” and an assessment team, consisting of representatives from the private school, local education agency, or public schools, and parents (Utah Code Sec. Be eligible for an IEP (Individual Education Plan) from the local school district.
Sibling Participation: A sibling that resides in the same household as an eligible student that has enrolled in, or intends to enroll in, a qualifying school or participating services provided by a qualifying provider may also participate in the program. To qualify, a sibling must enroll in the same qualifying school or services as the eligible student.

Application Process for New Applicants

New applicants seeking to benefit from the CSOS program must follow a structured application process.

Key Application Details:

Applications for the 2025-26 school year opened on February 3, 2025.
Scholarships will be awarded based upon when applications are approved by CFEF.

Scholarship Award Amounts and Funding

The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship's award amounts are determined by a factor of the weighted pupil unit (WPU) set annually by the Utah State Legislature ($4,494 in 2024-2025).

Funding Sources:

The program is supported by two primary funding sources:

Donations: Businesses and individuals who pay income taxes are eligible for a 100% credit for donations. $5.94 million dollars in credits are available annually, with an escalator in place to raise the program cap as needed. Anyone who pays Utah state income taxes is able to donate and receive the tax credit.
State Appropriation: The program will receive an over $8 million appropriation from the legislature. These funds are first used to fund legacy Carson Smith students. All excess funding not allocated in the current year program will be transferred and will allow funding for the students on the waitlist.

Recent legislation now allows CFEF to receive funding from two different sources. We will continue to receive funds from donations from individuals and businesses. All donations are eligible for a 100% Utah State income tax credit. Anyone who pays Utah state income taxes is able to donate and receive the tax credit. Please consider redirecting your state tax dollars to CFEF. Click here to make a donation.

Public school students between ages 3 and 21 identified as disabled under federal disability rights law are eligible to receive vouchers, as well as students with special needs in private schools that served students with disabilities prior to participating in the program. Participation is limited by the amount of money appropriated each year to the fund ($7 million in 2020-2021), with applications subject to random lottery.

Vouchers are based on the state’s weighted pupil unit, an element of its school financing formula. Students who receive three or more hours of special education services per day get vouchers worth 2.5 times the weighted pupil unit, whereas students receiving fewer than three hours per day get vouchers worth 1.5 times the weighted pupil unit. In 2022-2023, those values amount to $9,522.50 and $5,713.50, respectively. The voucher may not exceed the private school’s actual tuition and fees.

Additional Considerations

Our private school is approved to receive the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship through the state office of education and the Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship through Children First Education Fund.
The Carson Smith Opportunity Scholarship is a state-funded program that provides private school scholarships to Pre-K through 12th grade students with disabilities.

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