Tax Year Prior to 2020: Turbo tax won't let me enter in my tuition and enrollment fees.

[nathad]

I'm still having it jump straight to the books and other fees and the tuition defaults to 0 without letting me change it.  Will Turbo Tax be fixing this bug in their system soon?

[abovetherainbow1]

This is incorrect as well.  It still takes you to the screen to enter books and materials.  How does it figure what your credit is if you have never entered the amount of tuition that you have paid the school.  My credit is being figured off of what I have spent for books and materials only.  Help!!

[AnnetteB6]

To enter your tuition expenses so that your credit will be calculated on all of your education expenses, start by going to the Education section of your return using these steps:  

• On the top row of the TurboTax online screen, click on Search (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax locate the search box in the upper right corner)
• This opens a box where you can type in “education” (be sure to enter exactly as shown here) and click the magnifying glass (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax, click Find)
• The search results will give you an option to “Jump to education”
• Click on the blue “Jump to education” link

Then, if you are not prompted to enter your 1098-T, go through the entire education expenses section (without entering any information yet) of your return until you reach the screen titled “Your Education Expenses Summary”, then follow these steps:

• Click Edit next to the student name.
• On the screen titled “Here’s your Education Summary”, click Edit beside Tuition.
• Enter the information from your Form 1098-T.

@abovetherainbow1

[Anonymous]

I'm using TT Home & Business and this suggestion helped me.  Thank you @LinaJ2020!

[kav1025]

I use the desktop version and have mostly the same problem.  I figured out how to go in through the form to enter my 1098-T information but I am forced to enter the dollar amount from box 1 (tuition I paid in 2019) into box 1b (tuition NOT paid in 2019).  This changes my refund from $3300 to $1300.   What's up with that?

[KrisD15]

Try entering the 1098-T in the Education Section. (under Federal, Deductions & Credits) 

The program may ask for "other expenses" such as books. Please continue through the entire interview and you should be looped to the 1098-T input screen. 

[kav1025]

 I use the desktop version and have mostly the same problem.  I figured out how to go in through the form to enter my 1098-T information but I am forced to enter the dollar amount from box 1 (tuition I paid in 2019) into box 1b (tuition NOT paid in 2019).  This changes my refund from $3300 to $1300.  The note from Turbo Tax Help says that I entered this number in earlier and I did not.  There was no opportunity to do so.  My solution was to delete the complete tax return and start over.  This time when I got to the tuition expenses, I clicked on the 'view' menu and select forms. The I selected the form 1098-T from the navigation pane on the left and entered the amount in box 1 myself, and clicked 'close' at the bottom of the form.  Then I clicked on the 'view' menu ad switched back to step-by-step.  This fixed the problem.  Hope this helps.

 

[RJK]

Thanks Annette. I am using Turbo Tax Deluxe downloaded to my PC via disc and the first part of your solution worked for me. 

[LinaJ2020]

You are welcome!

[GregA1]

Exact same issue - Downloaded version (Turbotax home & business) will not allow entry of tuition expenses:

Based on what you've entered so far, you can't claim tuition and other fees because your income is too high...

However, you should select "Continue" and enter your education expenses to avoid paying tax on your ESA or QTP...

Which is exactly what the software will not allow me to do.  Help!

[steve5680]

I have a $0.00 next to the box for Tuition and Fees.  I can not enter a number.  It says I entered this information earlier.  But I did not.  Please help.

[DianeC958]

You can delete the form and put in the information again.

To delete a form in TurboTax 

Here's the general procedure for viewing the forms list and deleting unwanted forms, schedules, and worksheets in TurboTax Online:

1. Open or continue your return in TurboTax.
2. In the left menu, select Tax Tools and then Tools.
3. In the pop-up window Tool Center, choose Delete a form.
4. Select Delete next to the form/schedule/worksheet in the list and follow the instructions.

[dz5]

The same here.

[dz5]

They are probably bots ... or just doing a simple cut-n-paste from some FAQ.

[sienaGreen]

I have the Turbo TAX CD. The screen above look different than mine.   I keep going through the education section and have never found "Your Education Expenses Summary”, It jump from "Tells us about  your Educational Plan" to "Lets Gather NAME's Additional Education Expenses".  SG