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New Member
posted Apr 11, 2025 9:43:45 AM

Does my college housing costs get entered on my federal return if I live off-campus?

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2 Replies
Level 15
Apr 11, 2025 9:51:19 AM

Housing  and/or room and board is not a qualified education expense.  Unless you have a 529 plan or something similar, you do not enter anything about your college housing.

Level 15
Apr 11, 2025 10:31:24 AM

Q. Does my college housing costs get entered on my federal return if I live off-campus?

A. No. Room & board (R&B), on or off campus, are not qualified expenses for any educational tac benefits.

 

There is one exception. R&B are qualified expenses (even off campus, or at home, with limitations) for a distribution from a Qualified tuition plan (QTP), 529 plan, Educational Savings account (ESA) or prepaid tuition plan. 

 

The fact that you are asking about educational expenses suggests that you may be entering them, and a 1098-T, in TurboTax. 

  Here's a post on the five main points on the  1098-T:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/i-need-help-with-1098t-section-college-expenses/00/3451036