Now that you’ve been approved for a Curriculum Grant or Disaster Relief Grant, we want to walk you through the three-step process of how you can spend your grant money and how to submit receipts.

1. Make your grant purchases and keep receipts

Grants should be used to directly support private homeschooling for the children 6–19 years old listed on your grant application.

Eligible purchases

  • Curriculum and tutoring for core academic subjects ⓘ
  • Class tuitions for core academic subjects ⓘ, including online and dual-enrollment
  • Shipping & handling fees
  • Materials for core academic subjects ⓘ (i.e., science experiment items, calculators, geometry tools, microscopes, dissection kits, etc.)
  • Academic testing (CAT, Iowa, SAT, ACT, CLT)
  • Educational consulting and transcript services
  • School supplies
  • Technology for educational purposes, such as:
    • Computer/laptop
    • Tablet/iPad
    • Warranties (1 year)
    • Tablet pens
    • MS Office (1 year)
    • Printer
    • Ink subscriptions
    • Headphones
  • Diagnostic testing, educational therapies, or specialized materials for children with special needs
  • Homeschool groups & co-op fees
FOR DISASTER RELIEF GRANT RECIPIENTS ONLY:

If you have been approved for a Disaster Relief Grant, you are also permitted to use your grant for:


  • Furniture and household goods, including:
    • Tables and chairs
    • Desks and bookcases
    • Clothes or school uniforms
  • Displacement costs (such as hotel stays)

Ineligible purchases
  • Extracurricular activities outside of homeschool group settings, including:
    • Musical instruments
    • Music lessons
    • Art instruction
    • Extensive art supplies
    • Drama
    • Speech and debate
    • Teen Pact
    • Dance, sports, and other forms of P.E.
    • Drivers Education
  • Furniture and household goods*, including:
    • Tables and chairs
    • Desks and bookcases
    • Clothes or school uniforms
    • Utility bills (internet, cell phone)
  • Religious training materials, including:
    • Personal Bible studies or other Holy Book studies
    • Catechisms or prayer books
    • Character development
    • Self-help materials
    • Christian living materials
  • Educational expenses for parents or other children
  • Post-secondary education

* Note that Disaster Relief Grant recipients are eligible for some of these purchases. Check the Eligible purchase section above.


You must spend your grant funds within 6 months. As you spend your grant, make sure to keep receipts of your purchases.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS:
  • Get a separate receipt for grant purchases. Try to buy grant items separately from any other purchases so that you can submit receipts with only grant items. If you cannot, you may still upload the full receipt and we will determine which purchases are valid grant spending.
  • Save copies. Scan, photograph, or keep a copy of each receipt for your own records.
  • Use our grant recipient discounts. Dozens of vendors have partnered with us to provide further savings for you. We will send you information about how to receive these discounts via email and through the mail.
  • Make note of any grant recipient discounts you use. We will ask you to list the amount you saved with each vendor on your Grant Usage Report.
  • Explore our list of free or inexpensive curriculum and resources, including technology.

2. Fill out Grant Usage Report

Your Grant Usage Report and receipts must be submitted within 6 months of receiving your grant approval email. Please fill out the report as soon as you have finished spending your grant. Your receipts should at least add up to the amount of your grant, but may total more.

You can find a link to the Grant Usage Report in your approval email. (Search for the subject line “Application Approved! Use Link for Receipts” in your inbox.)

For quick and accurate processing, please follow these guidelines:

Receipt Guidelines

  • One receipt per purchase. Do not submit a receipt and packing slip for the same purchase.
  • Receipts must show these 6 things:
    1. Date of purchase
    2. List of all items purchased
    3. Name of the seller/vendor
    4. Contact information for the seller/vendor (website, email, address, etc.)
    5. Amount of the purchase
    6. Confirmation that payment was made

Example of a valid receipt »

  • The following are invalid receipts:
    • Incomplete screenshots—Sometimes screenshots leave off information, so double check that your screenshots show all six requirements above
    • Online carts
    • Credit card statements
    • Bank statements
    • Receipts handwritten by the grantee

Congratulations, you’ve completed both steps!

You are welcome to reapply for a Curriculum Grant next year. Please check out our Curriculum Grant page for more information.

 

What is considered a core academic subject?
  • Math
  • Language arts
  • Foreign language
  • Science and lab supplies
  • History/social studies
  • Government/civics
  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Other courses approved by your grant administrator

Jump back to the eligible purchase list

Can I use the grant to reimburse myself for purchases I have already made?

Yes! So long as the purchases fall within the eligible purchase guidelines, you may submit receipts for things bought up to 6 months before your approval email. Look for the subject line, “Application Approved! Use Link for Receipts” to find that email.

My receipts total more than my grant. Is that okay?

Yes! It is okay that your receipts total more than your grant.

One of my children is turning 6 soon. Can I use any of my grant on them?

Yes, so long as your 5-year-old turns 6 by November 1.

May I use my grant toward everything offered by a Discount Vendor?

No. Our generous vendor partners may offer discounts on items beyond the scope of our grant usage guidelines. As a grant recipient, you are welcome to take advantage of all the discounts they offer, but you may only use grant funds (and submit receipts) for the items outlined above.

Can I submit handwritten receipts?

Receipts either written by hand or home-produced (via Word, Excel, etc.) are NOT preferred because they are more time-consuming for our staff to verify. If you can provide a printed receipt instead, please do. See an example of a valid receipt.

Handwritten or home-produced receipts must be valid (see list of 6 required pieces of information above) and created by the seller.

Receipt validity is at the discretion of HSLDA Compassion. HSLDA reserves the right to verify handwritten and home-produced receipts.

I'm unable to upload my receipts. What do I do?

If you are unable to upload your receipts to your Grant Usage Report, you may either:

  • Email your receipts to compassionreceipts@hslda.org, with your name and grant year in the subject line.
  • Mail copies of them to: HSLDA Compassion, PO Box 1152, Purcellville, VA 20134