No. The tuition credit or
deduction goes with the student’s exemption.
But, you may have asked the
wrong question. Can your student/child really file as an independent? There is a rule that says IF somebody else CAN claim him (even if they don't actually claim him) as a dependent, he
is not allowed to claim his own exemption. If he has sufficient income (usually
more than $6300), he can & should still file taxes; he just doesn’t get his
own $4050 exemption (deduction). In TurboTax, he indicates that somebody else
can claim him as a dependent, at the personal information section.
A child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:
1. He is under age 19, or under 24
if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally &
permanently disabled
2. He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support. Scholarships are
considered third party support and not as support provided by the student.
3. He lived with the parent
(including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half
the year
So, it doesn't matter how much he earned. What matters is how much he spent
on support. Money he put into savings does not count as support he spent on him
self. The support value of the home you provided is the fair market rental value
of the home plus utilities & other expenses divided by the number of
occupants.
Furthermore, A student, under age 24,
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 must have
actually paid tuition, not had it paid by scholarships & grants. It is usually best if the parent claims that
credit.
