Q. Can I claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit for college students if I had paid for my community college expenses in 2021 myself but I was also going to a public 4-year college at the same time that my parents paid for?
A. No.
You are one student, so only one education credit may be claimed, on your education, even if you attended more than one school.
Only the person who can claim your exemption (dependency), whether it's your parents or yourself may claim the education credit. But they may count the tuition from both schools, even though they didn't pay it all. You cannot claim a credit if you are, or can be, claimed as a dependent by someone else.
Furthermore, even if you are not your parent's dependent, you may not be able to claim the American Opportunity Credit . There's a new urban myth among college students that says they can get a $1000 from the government just for filing a tax form. For most of them, they simply aren't eligible. A full time unmarried student, under age 24, even if you don't qualify as a dependent, is only eligible for the refundable portion of the American Opportunity Credit if he supports himself by working. You cannot be supporting yourself on parental support, 529 plans or student loans & grants. You usually must have actually paid tuition, not had it paid by scholarships & grants. It is usually best if the parent claims that credit.
