English Composition 1
A first college-level writing course that most college plans include.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →WyomingHomeschool
Steamboat Legacy Scholarship is paying again: using it for college-level courses
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
The Steamboat Legacy Scholarship gives eligible Wyoming students $7,000 a year, paid quarterly into an education savings account on Odyssey. The Wyoming Supreme Court lifted the lower court's injunction, so payments go ahead while the case continues. Tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs are an allowed expense, which is how a teen can use it for college-level courses.
The rule
Under the Wyoming Education Savings Account Act (2024) as amended by the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act (HB0199, 2025), eligible students receive $7,000 a year in an education savings account, paid in four quarterly deposits, for listed expenses including tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs.
The rule asks for $7,000 a year per student, paid quarterly ($1,750 a quarter). The legal source is Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act (HB0199, 2025).
| Item | What the department says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Award | $7,000 a year, deposited quarterly | [1] |
| Who | Wyoming residents aged 4 and pre-k to grade 12, not enrolled in a public school | [1] |
| Income test | Pre-k applicants only (250% of federal poverty guidelines) | [1] |
| Online courses | Tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs are allowed | [1] |
| Court status | Supreme Court lifted the injunction; case continues in district court | [1] |
| 2026-27 opt-in | By 22 Nov 2026; Q2 funding from 10 Dec | [1] |
| Vendors | Registered providers and vendors list; UPI Study is an approved vendor | [2] |
Who decides
Wyoming Department of Education (program run on the Odyssey platform) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- Tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs, an allowed ESA expense on the department's list.
- Courses from a provider the family can pay through Odyssey; UPI Study is an approved vendor for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship.
- College-level courses with an ACE or NCCRS credit recommendation, which a college may later consider for credit via a college transcript.
What does not count
- Students enrolled in a public school, including a virtual public school, are not eligible for the scholarship.
- ESA spending does not by itself put credit on a college transcript; a college decides that later.
- Money for a year the family did not opt in to; families who miss the 22 Nov 2026 opt-in are moved to Opted-Out for 2026-27.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Wyoming Department of Education (program run on the Odyssey platform).
College Algebra
Common math general education course for a teen ready for college math.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
History at college level; fits a high school social studies plan too.
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Psychology
A popular first social science course for older teens.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Principles of Statistics
Useful for many majors and a good fit after algebra.
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Intro to Biology 1
A college-level science for a teen planning a science or health path.
Self-paced online Intro to Biology 1 course (Biology 100). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Confirm your 2026-27 statusIf you were approved in the supplemental window, opt in by 22 Nov 2026 in Odyssey. Families who do not opt in are moved to Opted-Out for the year.
- Plan around quarterly depositsMoney arrives each quarter, $1,750 at a time, with the 2026-27 Q2 allocation funding from 10 Dec. Plan purchases to match.
- Choose courses that fit your teenPick college-level courses for the high school plan: writing, math, history, psychology or science. Check what a future college considers before choosing for credit.
- Pay the approved vendor through OdysseyUPI Study is an approved vendor for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship. Get your invoice from our Wyoming ESA page and pay it through Odyssey.
- Keep the record for college laterOur courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. When your teen applies, move the credit via a college transcript at a college that considers it, such as our partner colleges TESU and UoPeople, after asking in writing.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; check each partner's own transfer pages and get its answer in writing before counting on a course.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study, homeschool lifetime | $250 once, every course | $250 gives homeschool families lifetime access to all UPI Study courses. | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Central Wyoming College (standard Wyoming resident rate) | $171.50 per credit, 2026-2027 | About $1,029 for two 3-credit courses; ask the college about high school rates | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | Similar monthly cost; check whether it is a registered vendor before you pay | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Study.com | $95 a month (2 courses at a time) | Similar monthly cost; check its vendor status in Odyssey | 24 Oct 2026 |
A full year of PRO uses about a sixth of one year's award, leaving the rest for curriculum and other allowed costs. Check any provider's vendor status in Odyssey before you pay.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. We cannot promise that any college will grant credit for our courses; each college decides.
- We do not run the scholarship. The Wyoming Department of Education decides eligibility, deposits and approvals, and Odyssey runs the accounts.
- We cannot predict the court case. The department says the underlying case is still in district court.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Confirm in writing first
Ask the college your teen plans to attend, in writing, which courses it will consider for credit before you rely on them for a degree plan.
Where the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship stands in November 2026
In 2025 a Laramie County District Court injunction stopped the program from paying out. In May 2026 the Wyoming Supreme Court lifted that injunction, and the Wyoming Department of Education says it is paying the 2026-27 awards while the underlying constitutional case continues in district court. The department is careful to say that future legal outcomes cannot be predicted.
For 2026-27 the department ran a supplemental application window from 27 to 29 October. Approved families must opt in by 22 November; those who do not are moved to Opted-Out for the year. Accounts are funded from 10 December with the second-quarter allocation. There is no waitlist this year; the waitlist returns with the 2027-28 application.
- $7,000 a year per student, paid quarterly.
- Q4 2025-26 rollover of $1,750 for students previously approved and not in public school in 2025-26.
- Questions to the department: wde-esa@wyo.gov. Odyssey technical help: help.wy@withodyssey.com.
Using the scholarship for college-level courses
The department's list of allowed expenses includes tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs. That covers college-level online courses from an approved vendor. UPI Study is an approved vendor for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship, so a family can pay for our courses with ESA funds through Odyssey.
For a high school student, these courses do two jobs. They count in the family's own high school plan, since a home-based programme sets its own courses. And because each course carries an ACE or NCCRS credit recommendation, a college may later consider it for credit via a college transcript. That second step is the college's decision, so ask it in writing.
How far $7,000 goes
A year of PRO at $99 a month is about $1,188, roughly a sixth of one year's award. A teen working steadily might finish several courses in that year. At Central Wyoming College the standard 2026-2027 resident rate is $171.50 per credit, so two 3-credit courses come to about $1,029 before books; ask the college about any rate for high school students. The scholarship also covers curriculum and other allowed costs, so plan the whole year before you spend.
Questions people ask
How much is the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship?
The Wyoming Department of Education says eligible students receive $7,000 a year, deposited into an education savings account in four quarterly payments. For 2026-27 the deposits fall in early September, early November, early February and early May, with new accounts funded from 10 December.
Is Wyoming's ESA paying again after the court case?
Yes. The Wyoming Supreme Court lifted the lower court's injunction in May 2026, and the department is paying 2026-27 awards. The underlying constitutional case continues in district court, and the department says future outcomes cannot be predicted.
Who is eligible for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship?
Wyoming residents aged 4 and in pre-k through grade 12 who are not enrolled in a public school. Only pre-kindergarten applicants face an income test, set at 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. Enrolling in a public school, including a virtual one, ends eligibility.
Can I use Wyoming ESA money for online college courses?
The department lists tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs as an allowed expense. UPI Study is an approved vendor for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship, so you can pay for our college-level courses through Odyssey. Whether a college grants credit later is the college's decision.
What is the 2026-27 opt-in deadline for Wyoming's ESA?
Families approved in the 2026-27 supplemental window must opt in by 22 November 2026. Those who do not are moved to Opted-Out and cannot take part in 2026-27. Funding begins on 10 December with the second-quarter allocation.
Is there a waitlist for the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship?
Not for 2026-27. The department says the waitlist process resumes with the 2027-28 application, so families who missed this year's window should watch for those dates. Check the department's education savings accounts page for the 2027-28 timeline, or email wde-esa@wyo.gov with questions about your own case.
Read next
- Wyoming's ESA after the Supreme Court ruling: what families can do nowThe Wyoming Supreme Court lifted the injunction on the ESA in May 2026, so the Department of Education is paying 2026-27 awards of $7,000 while the...
- Steamboat Legacy Scholarship approved vendors for high schoolSteamboat Legacy Scholarship approved vendors are the providers families can pay through Odyssey. The Wyoming Department of Education publishes a...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Our Wyoming ESA page has the invoice and the Odyssey payment steps.
Sources
- Wyoming Department of Education: Education Savings Accounts (official)$7,000 annually per eligible student, deposited quarterly (2026-27: early Sep, early Nov, early Feb, early May); Wyoming residents aged 4 and pre-k to grade 12, not enrolled in a public school, income test for pre-k only; allowed uses include tuition and fees for nongovernmental online learning programs and classes at a public or charter school; the Wyoming Supreme Court lifted the lower court's injunction and the case continues in district court; 2026-27 supplemental window 27-29 Oct, opt-in deadline 22 Nov, Q2 funding from 10 Dec; Q4 $1,750 rollover; no waitlist until 2027-28; Odyssey runs the platform. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Wyoming Department of Education: ESA Registered Providers and Vendors (PDF) (official)The department's published list of registered providers and vendors for the ESA program; UPI Study Inc is listed (owner confirmed vendor approval 13 Nov 2026). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Central Wyoming College catalog 2026-2027: Tuition (official)Wyoming resident tuition and fees of $171.50 per credit for 2026-2027. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- CWC tuition 2026-2027Price for Central Wyoming College (standard Wyoming resident rate), checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Study.com plans and pricingPrice for Study.com, checked on 24 Oct 2026.