Q. Would it be smart to just claim him as a dependent?
A. Yes. At a minimum, there is a $500 "other dependent credit" for you. Unless your income is too high to qualify, there should also be an (up to) $3200 education credit (maybe even more of he has expenses for books and a computer). He is not eligible for that credit on his own return. Effectively, only parents can claim that credit.
With the tax law change, effective 2018, most students will get the same refund whether they claim themselves or not. The personal exemption has been eliminated and the standard deduction increased.
