For purposes of full-time student in 2018, does high school count, or does it have to be college? My daughter was in high school and college in 2018. I have gotten conflicting answers from the FAQs.

mikedillman100 · ‎June 4, 2019

TomD8 · ‎June 4, 2019

For purposes a claiming a dependent (but not for education credits), high school does count. The IRS defines "school" this way:

School defined: A school can be an elementary school, junior or senior high school, college, university, or technical, trade, or mechanical school. However, an on-the-job training course, correspondence school, or school offering courses only through the Internet doesn't count as a school.
Vocational high school students: Students who work on “co-op” jobs in private industry as a part of a school's regular course of classroom and practical training are considered full-time students.

Page 12, https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf

**Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute tax or legal advice.

IreneS · ‎June 4, 2019

TurboTax wants to know if, when she started college, was she a full-time student?

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For purposes of full-time student in 2018, does high school count, or does it have to be college? My daughter was in high school and college in 2018. I have gotten conflicting answers from the FAQs.