Simple answer: Yes, a computer is a qualified expense for claiming a tuition credit or deduction.  The technicality is that the computer must be "required". 

The general consensus, among tax experts,  these days, is that a computer is necessary for college. 

See: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/is-a-computer-a-qualified-expense-for...

The only qualified education expenses are tuition, books, and lab fees. That's it. But the "lab fees" category is rather broad and can include the cost of a laptop if the use of a computer is identified (directly or indirectly) as a requirement for any one course in the course syllabus. Now-a-days, one would be hard pressed if they were enrolled as a full time student for the semester, to not have "at least" one class that required a computer.