You don’t have to claim a dependent even though a person qualifies you to do so.
However even if you don’t claim her she would have to say that someone can claim her. That’s because if you own the 529 and she is the beneficiary, you not her, provided that support. That means that she could be your dependent and that makes her ineligible to receive the refundable portion of the AOC.
Whether she can not be claimed as a dependent on Federal and claimed on the state return varies by each state.
