I have attended school for 4 years, but never graduated and am still considered a junior by my university. Does this mean I have earned 4 years of college credit?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
April 20, 2021
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I had to withdraw from school because of life difficulties and difficulties caused because of covid shutdowns, so my final year I didnt graduate and failed 1 class.

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xmasbaby0

Employee

I think you are asking this to determine if you can get the American Opportunity Credit. You can get that credit a total of four times during your undergraduate years of college. If you were ever claimed as a dependent while you were a student and your parents got the AOC, the times they got the credit "count" toward the four times you can get the AOC.

So, no, it seems you have not earned four years of college credit. And if you have not used the AOC four times you might still be able to use the credit.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3262983-who-is-eligible-to-take-the-american-opportunity-tax-credit

You can see your AOC credit on line 29 of your 2020 Form 1040

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Opus 17

Employee

You can claim the AOTC four times.

Also, you are only eligible during the first 4 years of college education or its equivalent, even if you don't get your degree in 4 years.

Completion of first 4 years. A student has completed the first 4 years of postsecondary education if the institu- tion at which the student is enrolled awards the student 4 years of academic credit at that institution for coursework completed by the student before 2020. This student gen- erally wouldn't be an eligible student for purposes of the American opportunity credit.

You will have to determine how this applies to you.

For example, suppose you were enrolled full-time from Sept 2016 through May 2020. However, you withdrew in the Spring of 2020 and were not awarded credit. In this case, you were eligible for the AOTC 4 times, on your 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 tax return, or on your 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 return. If you claimed the credit 4 times already, that's all you get. If you only claimed 3 years before now, you are still eligible on your 2020 return if you attended full time in 2020, even if you did not get credit. However, if you don't claim the AOTC for 2020, you would be eligible to claim it in 2021, because you were not awarded credit for the 4th year by your university.