Q. I wonder if I should have (claimed my 1098-T and filed a 2015 return)?
A. The simple answer is No. But, taxes are complicated. Credits available to grad students are non refundable. So, the fact that you owed no taxes most likely means you did not need to file. If your scholarships (but not loans) exceeded your qualified expenses , there's a possibility you may have been required to file.
Q.Could my tax credit carryover and reduce my 2017 tax liability?
A. No. As others have indicated, both credits and the qualifying expenses, for credits and deductions, can NOT be carried over
