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Am I considered a full-time student?

SOLVEDby TurboTax688Updated November 22, 2023

According to the IRS, a full-time student is defined as a student who is enrolled for the number of hours or courses that the school considers to be full-time attendance. Keep in mind that each school defines "full time" in its own way (usually in terms of the number of courses or hours).

To qualify as a student, the person must be (during some part of each of any five calendar months of the year):

  1. A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school.
    OR
  2. A student taking a full-time, on-farm training course given by a school described in (1), or by a state, county, or local government agency.

Note: The five calendar months do not have to be consecutive. 

More detailed information can be found in the Chapter "Personal Exemptions and Dependents" of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.

A child’s student status determines whether parents or guardians can continue to claim the qualifying child on their tax return until they turn 24 years old.   

A "qualifying child" means:

  • They're related to the person claiming them.
  • They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
  • They're a US citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
  • Unmarried or, if married, not filing a joint return or only filing a joint return to claim a refund of income tax withheld or estimated tax paid.
  • They're under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
  • There’s no age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
  • They lived with the taxpayer for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
  • They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year.

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