I didn't have student loan payments in 2021. Why is Turbotax asking for a 1098-E for student loan payments? Can I skip this step?

A blank Form 1098-E may have been transferred into your return from your 2020 file.  Try going to the student loan interest section and deleting (click the trash can icon) any entries that you see.  If there is not an entry already there for Form 1098-E, you can create one showing '0' interest paid and then go back to delete it.  

Use these steps:

• On the top row of the TurboTax online screen, click on Search (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax locate the search box in the upper right corner)
• This opens a box where you can type in “student loan interest” (be sure to enter exactly as shown here) and click the magnifying glass (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax, click Find)
• The search results will give you an option to “Jump to student loan interest”
• Click on the blue “Jump to student loan interest” link