It is an urban myth that college student get large tax refunds. Your friends might not be doing their returns correctly.
Are you a dependent?
All of my friends are exactly like my case - being international students. Does that make me dependent?
If your parents can claim you as a dependent, you are not allowed to claim the education credit**.
Furthermore, there is a rule that says IF somebody else CAN claim YOU as a dependent, You are not allowed to claim your own exemption. If you can't claim yourself, you also cannot claim the tuition credit. If you have sufficient income, you can & should still file taxes, In TurboTax, you indicate that somebody else can claim you as a dependent.
A child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:
1. He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally & permanently disabled
2. He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support
3. He lived with the parent (including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half the year
There's a new 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 (earned income). 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.