There's an urban myth among college students that says they can get a
$1000 from the government just for filing a tax form. For most of them, they
simply aren't eligible. A student, under age 24, is only eligible for the
refundable portion of the American Opportunity
Credit if he supports himself by working. You cannot be supporting yourself on
parental support, 529 plans or student loans & grants. You must have
actually paid tuition, not had it paid by scholarships & grants. It is usually best if the parent claims that
credit. So, unless your earned
income is more than half your total
support, you can not get that $1000.
You may have filed incorrectly for 2017.