Are evaluation fees for a futures trading prop firm deductible I spend $16,000 in evaluation fees, I got $4500 in payouts can the fees be writen off as education

[gutierrez9814-ya]

All the trading was done in a simulation the firm never provides real funds, the first level is a evaluation then if you pass that you get paid evaluation which you get paid but theres no real funds until you trade consistently for over 100 days. Iam assuming this to be educational expenses I basically was learning to trade in the simulated accounts