Section 33-1030, Idaho Code, defines eligible education expenses to include textbooks,
curriculum, or other instructional materials, including educational software and applications. All
education expenses are required to be used to support a student’s current class or curriculum
needs.
As agreed, in the signed Parent Acknowledgment all funds distributed through the Empowering
Parents Grant Program are to be used for eligible education expenses and therefore used to
support a student’s current class or curriculum or identified through a student’s individual
education plan (IEP) as necessary to facilitate their learning. The use of the funds may be
subject to audit by the state of Idaho and the federal government. If funds are found to have
been used for non-eligible expenses, parents will be required to repay the funds, and confirmed
misuse of funds will result in the denial of eligibility for future grants.
Below is a chart of commonly approved and denied education expenses. This is not a conclusive
list, but is guidance as to what items are allowed and not allowed under the Empowering
Parents Program.
| Approved Expenses | Not Approved Expenses |
| Laptops, desktops, and tablets | Computer components |
| Headphones | Smartwatches |
| Textbooks | Phones |
| Curriculum | Toys |
| School supplies | Clothes: shirts, pants, jackets, etc. |
| Timers | Kitchen appliances |
| Sensory items (handheld or specific to a student's educational program) | Video games, game consoles, game console accessories |
| K-12 reading books | Appliances |
| K-12 lego kits |
Household items: cleaning supplies, batteries, packing tape, etc. |
| STEM curriculum and project kits | School lunch money |
| Art supplies and easels | Furniture, bean bags, and loungers |
| Board games | Uniforms, apparel, and costumes |
| Calculators (e.g., standard, graphing, scientific, etc.) | Animals |
| Dictionaries | Cricut or Silhouette machines |
| Educational flashcards | Food (human or animal) |
| Educational workbooks |
Recreational equipment |
| Globes, maps, atlases |
Backpacks, laptop bags |
| Manipulatives: items that help with counting, time, measurement, shapes, addition, etc. (e.g. math cubes, legos, blocks, shapes, letters, etc.) |
Gardening items and Green Houses |
| Microscopes and slides |
Laptop cases, tablet covers |
| Periodic tables |
Label-makers |
| Prompt cue cards for behavioral/educational support |
Desk organization: pen holders, file organizers, etc. |
| Puzzles |
Sewing machines |
| Timers | Leotards, dance shoes |
| Laptop stands | Competition fees |
| Tutoring | Camps, Day Camps, Seasonal Camps, and Summer Camps |
| Gift cards | |
| TVs |