If all your education expenses were paid in 2016, you would have no expenses to claim in tax year 2017.
According to the IRS:
"Prepaid expenses.
Qualified education expenses paid
in 2017 for an academic period that begins in the first 3 months of 2018 can be
used in figuring an education credit for 2017 only. See Academic period,
earlier. For example, if you pay $2,000 in December 2017 for qualified tuition
for the 2018 winter quarter that begins in January 2018, you can use that
$2,000 in figuring an education credit for 2017 only (if you meet all the other
requirements).
You can't use any amount you paid in 2016 or 2018 to
figure the qualified education expenses you use to figure your 2017 education
credit(s)."
CLICK
HERE for IRS Pub 970 Education Credits
