Why does Turbo Tax say we aren't eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit?

[michaelluley]

my husband and I file jointly and have 2 sons in college working on undergraduate degrees. WE meet all criteria for the American Opportunity Tax Credit but Turbo Tax says we aren't eligible for 2018. Why?

[gypsy50129]

How many years have you received the American Opportunity Tax Credit for each of your sons? I received the same surprise recently, and realized that you can only receive the AOTC for 4 tax years for any one student. An undergraduate degree goes into the 5th calendar year.

After you've exhausted those 4 years, you can then apply for the Lifetime Learning Credit.