The eligibility criteria for the American Opportunity Tax Credit are listed below. A thorough review of IRS Pub. 970 Tax Benefits for
Education does not support any exception based on the conferral of a bachelor's degree by a foreign institution. You should consider the Lifetime Learning Credit.
To be eligible for the American Opportunity Tax
Credit (AOTC), the student must:
- Be pursuing a
degree or other recognized education credential;
- Be enrolled at
least half time for at least one academic period (semester, quarter,
etc.) beginning in the tax year;
-
Not have
finished the first four years of higher education at the beginning of the
tax year;
- Not have
claimed the AOTC or the former Hope credit for more than four tax years;
and
- Not have a
felony drug conviction at the end of the tax year.
Click this link for more detailed
information about the American
Opportunity Tax Credit.
