Homeschool benefits: Utah Transit Authority
With a Reduced Fare FAREPAY Card, a rider ages 6-18 pays $1 instead of $2.50 for a local Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus, TRAX, or S-Line trip, and never more than $2 a day or $8 a week. Eligibility is based on age, so a homeschooled child qualifies once you apply online and the card is approved.
Who qualifies
Is 6 to 18 years old
Youth ages 6-18 qualify for reduced fare. Children 5 and under ride free with a fare-paying adult, so they do not need a card.
Applies for reduced fare
Apply at reducedfaresuta.com; UTA recommends Chrome or Safari. The card is issued only after UTA approves the application.
Verifies identity and age
UTA asks for a name, address, date of birth, and a photo for the card, plus an identity document such as a state ID, passport, or photo student ID. Ask UTA which proof of age it takes for a child without a photo ID.
Pays with FAREPAY
Reduced fare works only on a FAREPAY Card, and you tap on and off each ride so the card can apply the cap.
What the fare saves
UTA's FAREPAY Card and Current Fares pages list reduced fares and caps next to the $2.50 regular local fare and $5 regular daily cap.
- Local one-way trip (regular fare $2.50)
- $1
- Local daily cap (regular $5)
- $2
- Local weekly cap (regular $20)
- $8
- Express or Ski Bus one-way (regular $5)
- $2.50
- Premium daily and weekly caps, incl. FrontRunner
- $4 / $16
- Card issuance fee, refundable as credit
- $3
Approved reduced fare riders can ask UTA Customer Service to refund the $3 card fee as a credit on their FAREPAY account.
How to get the reduced fare
- Before you apply
Gather details
Have your child's name, address, date of birth, a photo for the card, and an identity document ready.
- Online
Apply for reduced fare
Submit the application at reducedfaresuta.com, then verify identity and eligibility when UTA asks.
- After approval
Load and register the card
Add value online, at a UTA Customer Service office, or at a FAREPAY vendor, and register the card at farepay.rideuta.com to protect a lost card.
- Each ride
Tap on and off
Tap when boarding and leaving a bus, and on and off at TRAX and FrontRunner platforms.
- After 5 years or at 19
Card expires
A youth card expires five years after approval or on your child's 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
What it includes
Included
- Local bus, TRAX, S-Line, and UTA On Demand
- FrontRunner, Express Bus, and Ski Bus at reduced fares
- Daily and weekly fare caps
Not included
- Paratransit
- Cash or Transit app fares
- Riders 19 and older on a youth card
Good to know
The youth fare depends on age, not school
UTA bases youth reduced fare on age (6-18), not school enrollment. You apply online for a Reduced Fare FAREPAY Card for your child.
No card is needed for children 5 and under
Children 5 and under ride free with a fare-paying adult.
Who to contact about reduced fares
UTA Customer Service helps with reduced fare applications, FAREPAY accounts, and card fee refunds.
rideuta@rideuta.com 801-743-3882 Customer Service locations
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Utah
Give the local school board a one-time initial notification when withdrawing a child to homeschool or choosing not to enroll. A letter of intent may be used. No annual renewal is required; a notification or affidavit already submitted by May 7, 2025 need not be replaced.
Utah sets these rules:
- Subjects: Utah does not prescribe homeschool subjects, instructional hours, or curriculum materials.
- Testing: Utah does not require a statewide standardized test for homeschoolers.
- Records: Utah does not require routine attendance, portfolio, or progress-report submissions for home education.
- Teachers: No homeschool-parent license or credential is required.
Utah also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Utah Fits All Scholarship pays up to $4,000 for home-based students ages 5-11 and up to $6,000 for ages 12-18 in 2026-27, for approved learning costs.
- TheHomeschoolingCompany is an approved vendor for it.
Read the Utah homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Utah
Questions parents ask
- How much will a day of field trips by TRAX cost?
- No more than $2 on local service, because the reduced fare cap stops charges after two $1 trips that day. In a Sunday-to-Saturday week, local charges stop at $8.
- Can we use the reduced fare on FrontRunner?
- Yes. FrontRunner counts as premium service, with a reduced base fare of $1.25 for one station plus $0.30 per additional station, capped at $4 a day and $16 a week.
- Where can we get help in person?
- UTA Customer Service offices in South Salt Lake (Meadowbrook), Provo Central Station, and Ogden Transit Center are open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
A student fare helps with trips to classes and activities. We handle the learning at home, with lessons built around your child's interests and feedback on their work. We are an approved Utah Fits All Scholarship vendor, so your Odyssey balance can pay for it.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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