American Opp Credit - Distance Learner

[Lewlew]

I am US cit permanently living in UK.

I took 3 courses at a US state university for credit via distance learning towards an undergraduate certificate in my field.  I have an undergrad degree from back in the 1970s. So this is a an undergrad certificate programme but in a completely  different field, as I was not eligible for the grad one.   

I paid about $3000 in 2017.  Am I eligible for the AOC?   

Or should I just manually choose the actual tuition. Will that make any difference at all?  Our household income is just under $40,000. 

Thanks

[LindaA]

You're not eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit if you've already completed four years of college. But you might qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit or the Tuition and Fees Deduction. TurboTax asks questions during the education expenses interview to determine if you qualify for a credit or deduction, then suggests you use the one that provides the greater benefit. To get a heads-up, use the TurboTax Education Credits & Deductions Calculator.

For more information, please see the articles below:

What are Education Tax Credits?

What is the Tuition and Fees Deduction?

[Lewlew]

Thanks, Linda.  As our income is very low, the Lifetime Learning did not make a difference. And I didn't realise that the AOT was actually something that gave you a refund vs being attached to your actual tuition paid.

I think I was remembering the 'old' days in the 80s when I could write off my tuition (along with credit card interest!) for some post BS courses I took while living in the US.

Cheers!