IOU

So a while back I received an IOU from my school program for $250 towards teaching supplies. It expires in May of 2013 I believe. There are no restrictions listed on the IOU. Well I contacted them asking if I could use the IOU towards the purchase of the IPad I am currently borrowing from them (they said they would sell them to us at a "used" price). The answer to my question was that I cannot use the IOU until I secure a teaching job and that it is only to be used for items to aid in teaching... WTF??? I already bought about $250 worth of stuff in anticipation of getting a teaching job. Now I am stuck footing that bill that I thought would be covered and I am sure by the time I do get a teaching job the IOU would be expired. What a crock of poo poo. And why the hell can I not use it towards the IPad if I turned in receipts to cover the $250? So I have to receive a check from them and write them out a check at the same time? That seems a little ass backwards to me.
Maybe he read my question wrong. Maybe he thought I would use the IOU without turning in receipts? - That cannot be because I clearly stated that I do have receipts already.
I should have re-worded my email I guess stating that in stead of the program paying me back for my receipts that the $250 owed to me be applied to the price of the IPad instead.
What ever, I cannot even use that damn IOU anyways. SUCKER!!!!!