If you are a student, over age 23, and are not claimed as a dependent by someone else (e.g. your parent) you may be eligible for the up to $1000 refundable American Opportunity (tuition) Credit. That credit is not dependent on having either kids or earned income. You must be at least a half time undergraduate student. There's even a loop hole available to claim the credit, if you are on scholarship.
Note that the $1 of interest gimmick is just to allow you to E-file. You can still file a paper return with $0 income in order to claim the stimulus payment.
To be eligible for the stimulus, you not only must not actually be claimed as a dependent by someone else, you must also not even qualify, under the dependent rules, as a anyone's dependent.
See full rules at: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Rules-for-Claiming-a-Dependent-on-Your-Tax-Ret...
