It sounds like a yes answer. Student loans that pay your tuition count as if you paid it yourself. You are no longer eligible for the American Opportunity Credit as a Grad student. See below for the Lifetime Learning Credit.
You don't have to be full-time. You are
eligible to claim the Lifetime Learning Credit if all of the following
requirements are met. Notice that you're not eligible for the American
Opportunity Credit which is only allowed for four years of undergraduate
education. The AOC is refundable...if the
credit amount (up to $2500) exceeds the amount of tax you owe, you can receive up to an extra $1,000 of the credit
as a refund. As of 2017, the maximum benefit of the Lifetime
Learning credit is $2,000. However, the lifetime
learning credit is nonrefundable if it exceeds your tax bill for the
year.
Lifetime
Learning Requirements:
- You (or your dependent or a
third party) paid qualified education expenses for higher education.
- You paid the education
expenses for an eligible student.
- The eligible student is you,
your spouse, or a dependent you claim an exemption for on your tax return.
- Your modified adjusted gross
income is less than $65,000($131,000 if you are married filing jointly).
- The credit is reduced between
$55,000 and $65,000 ($111,000 and $131,000 MFJ).
To qualify, students must attend an eligible institution.
Almost all accredited public, nonprofit and for-profit post-secondary schools
(including many trade schools) fit this description. To make sure a school is
eligible, go to fafsa.gov and verify that it has a Federal School Code.
