What can't Des Moines families buy with an Iowa ESA?
Clothing and uniforms, bags, printers and computer accessories, phones and game consoles, art and office supplies, household and cleaning items, food, transportation, non-school classes, subscriptions and memberships, child care including before- and after-school care, and camps.
What else should families know?
- Anything bought outside the Odyssey Marketplace is ineligible and not reimbursed.
- ESA money cannot pay for a sibling's costs.
What is not allowed in this area?
- Clothing, uniforms and shoes
- Transportation
- Child care and before- or after-school care
- Camps
- Educational subscriptions or memberships such as monthly STEM boxes
What does this mean for a Des Moines-area family?
Child care is the gap families hit most; Iowa HHS Child Care Assistance is the program built for it.
| It is | It isn't |
|---|---|
| Paid from money left after tuition and fees | Paid before tuition |
| Bought through the Odyssey Marketplace or billed by the school | Reimbursed when bought at another store |
| Checked against the state's expense list | A guarantee that every item will be approved |
Sources: Iowa Department of Education, "Iowa's Students First Act ESA Program: Eligible and Ineligible Expenses" (educate.iowa.gov/media/8595, updated May 25, 2023 and still linked from the ESA program page in October 2026); Iowa Code section 257.11B(1)(b); Iowa Administrative Code 281-20.1(6); Odyssey Iowa help center. This is a summary, not legal advice; Odyssey and the Department decide individual purchases, and a parent may appeal a decision to the State Board of Education within 30 days.