Can I claim the AOTC? I started college in 2016 and graduated in may 2021

[aedign]

what does 'Four Years of College Credit' mean? at the start of 2021 i hadn't completed my degree so I was still a senior student, but it wasn't my fourth calendar year in college. rather it was my fifth, as it took me 10 semesters to graduate. that being said, some credits I had were for a minor and did not count towards my degree, so would those count as part of earning 'Four Years of College Credit'? So I was in college for more than 4 years and had about 121 credit hours (about 9 did not count, since they were for an unrelated minor)  before starting my last semester in spring 2021. Can I claim AOTC?

[Hal_Al]

Q. Can I claim the AOTC?

A.  Yes (with a caveat, see below).

Simple answer: you had NOT completed 4 years of post secondary education as of 1-1-21 (the beginning of the tax year).

Caveat: There is 4 time limit for claiming the AOTC, on your education, including the times your parents claimed it while you were their dependent.  Most students cannot claim the AOTC their graduation year, because it would be the 5th time.  But, you can claim the less generous Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). 

[aedign]

I have only claimed AOTC once (last year) since it was the first year I filled as a resident for tax purposes. So then it should be okay (?)

[aedign]

I should note I'm an international student (F1 visa) but I am a resident for tax purposes due to the amount of time I've spent here. Last year I contacted TurboTax and they told me I could claim AOTC because of that. Now I'm in OPT

[Hal_Al]

Students who are on F1 OPT/CPT and Non-Residents are usually not eligible to claim AOTC.

But, if you elect elect to be treated as a resident alien for tax purposes and file form 1040, instead of 1040-NR, you can claim the AOTC.

More information on nonresident aliens can be found in Pub. 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens.

[Hal_Al]

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