Question about Enrollment Status for 2023

[windybird]

For my high school kid, I am confused as to how to answer this TurboTax question: What was your enrollment status for 2023?

As a full-time high school student, my kid was enrolled at a city college during last year's summer as a high school student and part of a dual-enrollment program run between the school system and the community colleges that allowed them to take career-related college courses at a college for free over the summer.

When checking the college website to find Form 1098-T, they saw that they did not have information listed for this. Would my kid be recognized as a full-time, at least half-time, or less than half-time? These are basically the 3 choices for this question. 

[CatinaT1]

This is asking about his college enrollment. I assume box 8 is not checked on his 1098-T, so he would be less than half-time.

[windybird]

He never received any 1098-T form. He took only one college level course during summer, and only one college level course during fall, and there's no need to pay any tuition for him, since he qualified for those courses for free.

In this case, would he still be less than half-time? He is full-time high school student, but it does seem his college enrollment is pretty minimal..

[CatinaT1]

Where are you seeing this question asked? What area? Since he had no cost for his college classes, you would not enter anything in the area for Education Credits. I'm guessing this might be where you are being asked this to determine his eligibility for an Education Credit, however no-fees means no Credit.

The way you answer this question will depend on the area the question is being asked. If you are indeed in Education Credits, he was less than half time. Once you put in there was $0 cost, it will tell you you do not qualify for an Education Credit.

If you are in a different area, please let us know.

[windybird]

My kid saw this question after the Turbotax software prompted for him whether or not he had taken any college courses at a college in the past, and he answered that he did.

[AmyC]

It sounds like all the classes were in  2023 which would mean there were no prior classes, none in 2022.

The education credit, AOTC, is only good for 4 years so the program needs to know if it has been claimed before Since the education expense was below $4,000, you would not want to claim it on a high school student. The credit also has minimums for enrollment to qualify. However, only the person claiming the student qualfies for the credit. Usually, the parent claims the student and the credit. Since your child is the one seeing the questions, perhaps they did not mark themselves as being claimed by a parent?

See IRS Q & A about education credits