Buying school supplies can put a pretty significant dent in one’s pocketbook, especially when you don’t have a lot of expendable income to begin with. For teachers who bear the burden of supplying a classroom full of students, Walmart is offering a new discount – but there’s a catch.

Walmart announced this week that it will be offering teachers across the country a 10% discount on classroom supplies purchased during its “Teacher Appreciation Week.”

That’s all well and good, but the discount will only be given in the form of a Walmart eGift card after making a purchase; meaning the savings won’t be realized until later and teachers will have to come back to Walmart to spend it.

Only certain school supply purchases made between July 25 and July 31 are eligible for the deal.

The savings process works like this:

• Shop at a Walmart store for classroom supplies;
• Register your receipts online by August 15;
• Receive an eGift card with the savings from your eligible purchases.

Sure, it’s better than nothing, but it also seems like a lot of extra work for the teacher. And any teacher who’d hoped to spend those savings at a store other than Walmart is out of luck.

But then again, it’s probably a better option than the small personal loans to pay for classroom supplies that Consumerist reported on earlier this year.

Teachers Chalk Up 10 Percent Savings at Walmart’s First-Ever Teachers’ Savings Event [Walmart]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.