From furniture to electronics and musical instruments to books, Utah Fits All families spent more than $13 million at 20 major retailers.
That’s around 20% of the money spent in the first year of Utah’s school voucher program as of March, according to data provided to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Ten thousand students received an $8,000 scholarship through the Utah Fits All program to spend on a broad range of educational expenses, including homeschooling supplies, private school tuition and extracurricular activities.
A Tribune analysis broke down more than 180,000 transactions totaling $61.5 million of the program’s more than $80 million budget.
That analysis found parents largely spent the money on private schools and other academic pursuits. But it also found that the most spending went to Amazon.
[Read more: Here’s how Utah parents are spending their kids’ school vouchers]
The online retail giant and 19 other major retailers account for $13.04 million of the $61.5 million spent, or 20.2%
And in many cases, it’s unclear what exactly was bought. That’s because the spreadsheet provided to The Tribune didn’t include more information from parents who spent money at online retailers or big-box stores.
ACE Scholarships, the organization initially hired by the state to oversee and manage the program, required either receipts or invoices for payment and reimbursement requests so they could be reviewed, according to an emailed statement. The Tribune didn’t have access to those receipts and invoices.
Here’s what we do know about how parents spent money at major retailers.
1. Amazon
Amount spent: $5,826,965.72
Families spent the most money overall at Amazon, using $5.8 million in voucher money on more than 51,000 transactions. Spending ranged from 51 cents to $6,156.14.
Known purchases included audiobooks, pencils, a drawing book, a jump rope, a treadmill and a trampoline.
More than 700 transactions were for at least $1,000, including two that noted at least some of the funds were for Lego sets.
2. Best Buy
Amount spent: $3,711,798.76
Best Buy received the third most money of any type of vendor, with families spending $3.7 million at the consumer electronics store in more than 9,500 transactions.
Twenty-five of those transactions used more than half of the scholarship, and one transaction was for all but $633 of the $8,000 received.
Most of the transactions were made through ClassWallet. Very few noted information about what was purchased.
3. Costco
Amount spent: $978,283.91
Families spent their voucher money at the warehouse giant 2,507 times. Four of those times, they spent more than half of the $8,000 received per child.
A small portion of the transactions noted what parents bought, including an iPad, a calendar that connects to Wi-Fi, pickleball gear, books, paper and a backpack.
4. Apple
Amount spent: $565,985.37
Families spent voucher money at Apple 774 times, and three of those transactions were for more than half the total Utah Fits All award.
Some families purchased software and applications, but the reimbursement requests appear to mostly be for computers, iPad tablets and accessories.
5. Walmart
Amount spent: $406,773.09
It’s unclear what nearly all of the money spent at Walmart was used to buy, but some of the more than 5,000 purchases at Walmart included tie-dye supplies, a bracelet kit, an HDMI cord, toys and various craft supplies.
The largest known purchase was $320.20 for a bicycle, and overall, reimbursement requests varied between 97 cents and $2,742.41.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Walmart on 300 West in Salt Lake City, on Friday, June 6, 2025.
6. Staples
Amount spent: $370,970.09
Most of the 1,892 transactions at Staples were through ClassWallet, though there’s no indication what families purchased.
[Read more: How we did it: The Tribune breaks down how Utah parents spent their school vouchers]
7. IKEA
Amount spent: $268,239.19
The nearly 850 transactions at IKEA ranged from $8.56 to $1,727.05.
Most purchases appear to be for furniture to set up a home workspace, but only one request for reimbursement at the Scandinavian furniture chain notes what a family bought — a bookshelf for $96.51.
8. Office Depot OfficeMax
Amount spent: $191,664.06
None of the 977 transactions at Office Depot OfficeMax include information on what parents actually bought.
Parents categorized their purchases in several different ways, including school and educational supplies, electronics and technology, and items for setting up a work space.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Target on 300 West in Salt Lake City, on Friday, June 6, 2025.
9. Target
Amount spent: $149,098.91
Parents spent an average of $78.76 in nearly 1,900 transactions at Target, with eight reimbursement requests for more than $1,000.
The purchases were mostly unspecified, but some noted items including a set of Connetix tiles, a few Lego sets and an outfit for gymnastics.
10. Dell
Amount spent: $91,308.97
Some of the 69 purchases from Dell note that they were for software, but otherwise, it’s unclear whether parents bought laptops, desktop computers or something else.
Thirty-eight of the transactions with the tech company were for more than $1,000, and seven of those were for at least $3,000.
11. eBay
Amount spent: $68,019.13
The more than 800 transactions through the online retailer included a cello for $518.28, printer toner for $74.64 and Lego toys for $28.43.
Of the nine transactions for more than $1,000, five were for electronics (without noting exactly what parents bought). The largest expense was $3,116.04.
12. Barnes and Noble
Amount spent: $64,028.23
Families spent an average of $87.45 — including as much as $2,082 — in 732 transactions at the bookstore chain.
Though Barnes and Noble is primarily a bookstore, it also sells toys, games, stationery, music and movies.
13. REI Co-op
Amount spent: $54,668.73
Just one transaction out of 180 notes what parents bought — a backpack for $160.89.
Eight reimbursement requests were for more than $1,000, and most parents categorized the expenses as being for extracurricular activities.
14. Pottery Barn
Amount spent: $51,963.10
Of the 60 transactions at Pottery Barn, 23 were for more than $1,000. Six of those were for more than $2,000.
Most of the money went to set up a workspace for kids at home, though the data provided doesn’t include the exact item or items purchased for any transaction.
15. JOANN Fabric and Crafts
Amount spent: $49,025.25
More than 641 transactions ranged in spending from $1.01 up to about $550.
There’s no note of what parents bought.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) JOANN Fabric and Crafts pictured in Draper on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.
16. Dick’s Sporting Goods
Amount spent: $48,837.38
It’s not clear what any of the 303 transactions at Dick’s were for, including four purchases for more than $1,000.
Purchases varied from about $11 to more than $1,800.
17. Facebook Marketplace
Amount spent: $44,716.23
Parents spent up to $2,060 in 237 transactions. Though many purchases were for unknown items, notes in the submissions for reimbursement indicate parents bought musical instruments and books, among other things.
18. Home Depot
Amount spent: $33,224.75
Families spent up to $1,045 in 161 transactions at the home improvement store, including three purchases of more than $1,000.
One purchase of more than $1,000 indicated the purchase was for cabinets, but the rest could have been for anything from Home Depot.
19. Hobby Lobby
Amount spent: $31,757.64
Parents spent anywhere from less than $2 to just shy of $430 in 691 transactions at the arts and crafts store.
One purchase noted what parents actually bought — a puzzle.
20. RC Willey
Amount spent: $29,039.01
Parents indicated the money spent here went to items that helped set up workspaces for kids at home, including electronics. None of the submissions for reimbursement specified exactly what parents bought.
There were 36 transactions with spending that ranged from $125 to more than $2,700. A third of the transactions were for more than $1,000.
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