Where can I enter room and board expense for my college? I am a full time student. The turbo tax application does not allow me to enter this expense.

[xmasbaby0]

Room and board is not a qualified education expense.    Or...do you have a 529 plan?

[Hal_Al]

You can't enter those expenses yet. This is a known glitch in TurboTax (TT). They are working on it (no announced fix date).   The 2025 education and 529 sections appear totally redesigned, from last year. 

[stuntchaplain]

I'm unable to enter any of the proper data for "Qualified Higher Ed. Expense for 529, either in the step-by-step or directly in the People wks. It puts it all in the "Elementary and Secondary Expense" category.

I think I saw a workaround in Hal_AI's feed, but how do we know Intuit is aware of and working on the problem? And will resolve it timely? Seems we're entitled to a fix, as paying subscribers.

[shaina04patel]

Yes, I do have a 529 plan! 

[shaina04patel]

Thanks, I guess we have to wait until they update the software. 

[shaina04patel]

100% agree. We are entitled to a fix. Hope they listen and see to this thread (which I doubt)! I could not find the workaround and wait and see. 

[skil]

This is just AWFUL.  Even going into the Student Workshop in Forms and MANUALLY keying expenses in, i.e. room / board, etc doesn't help because upon saving and loading your return, TT overlays the previously types entries.  Never had problems with expenses the last 8 years and they broke it for 2026.  This is the one that is causing me to rethink TT.  This needs to be fixed ASAP.  Somehow the interview is only showing entries for books. 

[shaina04patel]

Looks like a fix is coming by Feb. 27th. It was posted in another thread. Here is the link: 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/re-how-do-i-get-to-the-screen-in-tt-t...

[shaina04patel]

A fix for this problem or issue is now available. 

[stuntchaplain]

Except it's still not right. Seems to be a new table (in step-by-step) for entering "elementary and secondary" education expenses, and an explicit promise that a similar opportunity to enter higher ed expenses will be given later in the education section, but it never appeared.  The step-by-step still insists on placing my higher ed incurred expenses in the elementary-and-secondary section, which is simply wrong.

I'll be using another brand of software next year, because this should be a fairly direct fix.

In the mean time, I must still enter qualified Fees, Room & Board, Computer and other expenses directly in the forms: in the "People (student name)" form, and check also the "Student Info. wks" form. The error checkers at the end seem to be satisfied, and I managed to teach myself all about how the Qualified Education Expenses and Adjusted QEE are determined. 

[AnnetteB6]

The experience described here is expected to be resolved in a TurboTax update to be released by February 27th.  

@stuntchaplain 

[skil]

Doesn't seems like any changes were made.  I'm using desktop premiere.  When I go back into Expenses and Scholarships and go into my student, I have the "Had education expenses other than tuition" checked and full time in 2025 selected.  Then when it hits the screen "Time to enter expenses", I still only see books.  So, to me, NOTHING was done.  There is simply no entry available for room or board (or other valid expenses).   

Even if adjust for these expenses directly in the Student Worksheet forms, it doesn't save the adjusted numbers.  

How hard is it to expose the other expense categories with the books???

Perhaps we need to wait for a fix Feb 27th?  

[stuntchaplain]

Yes, we should probably wait until 27th!

But if you're eager, try entering those numbers in the "Person" sheet way down at the bottom of the Forms list. The "Student Worsheet" says on it one can't enter into that wks; you need to go to "Person" info. (Learned the hard way!) when the numbers get in there right, it does seem to save the numbers, and run it all through the Checker at the end. 

[skil]

I can confirm as of 2/28/26 the issue has been fixed.  Room and Board and Computer Equipment and some other categories were added for entry.