One other comment. The American Opportunity Credit is only useable for 4 years, and only usable for your undergraduate education (4 year degree or equivalent). If you think you might end up taking 5 years to get your bachelors degree, you might not want to use the advanced strategy this year, and save it for a year when you have a job. But if you think you will finish in 4 years or less, there is no point in not using your eligibility for 2017.
