You don’t qualify for the American Opportunity Tax Credit (formerly known as the Hope credit) because that credit only applies to undergraduate education expenses. The program will tell you that you don’t qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit if your taxable income is low enough that you do not have any tax that can be paid by the Lifetime Learning Credit. Since your income is only 12,000 dollars, you most likely do not have any tax (line 44 on form 1040 and 28 on 1040A) on your return.
The rules for the American Opportunity Credit are as follows:
You must be pursuing a degree or other recognized education credential
Be enrolled at least half time for at least one academic period* beginning in the tax year
Not have finished the first four years of higher education at the beginning of the tax year
Not have claimed the AOTC or the former Hope credit for more than four tax years
Not have a felony drug conviction at the end of the tax year
The academic period requirement is semesters, quarters, or trimesters, depending on what type of academic period your school uses.
You would likely qualify for the Lifetime Learning Credit. However, because it is a nonrefundable credit that cannot be carried to future years, one of the main qualifications is also that there is tax on line 44 of your return. See this link for a full explanation of the Lifetime Learning Credit
