Can I claim school expenses that I contributed for my parent.

[JadeWearing3571]

I paid for my mothers school expenses, can i claim it?

[MindyB]

It depends.  She'd have to be your dependent for you to use the tuition you paid towards a tax credit.

You may be able to claim her as an "other dependent", assuming she has met all the tests, from:  Rules for Claiming Dependents on Taxes:

• Do they live with you? Your relative must live with you all year as a member of your household or be on the list of “relatives who do not live with you” in Publication 501. About 30 types of relatives are on this list, including parent, so you have met this test.
• Do they make less than $5,050 in 2024 ($5,200 for 2025)? Your relative can't have a gross income of more than $5,050 in 2024 and be claimed by you as a dependent. This threshold increases to $5,200 for 2025. Certain income is excluded from this requirement such as all or part of Social Security benefits.
• Do you financially support them? You must provide more than half of your relative's total support for the year.

[Hal_Al]

Q. Can I claim school expenses that I contributed for my parent.

A. Only if she is your tax dependent.

However, she may claim the amount you paid when calculating the tuition credit on her own tax return. 

Although the general rule, in taxes, is that you must be the one making the payment, to get the deduction or credit, there is an exception for education.