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March 3, 2022
Question

If I was in a technical school for my job in the military for 13 months, Does this count as a full-time student?

  • March 3, 2022
  • 7 replies
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After basic training, we need to do 13 months of tech school to get our job. We also had to test for a certification once done

7 replies

March 3, 2022

No, if this was related to your military service training, this would not count as being a full time student.

 

In order for you to be considered a full time student, you would have to be at a technical school for something unrelated, that was not part of your military service, then this would count as a full time student.  If you are asking this because you are trying to determine if someone else can claim you as a dependent, then this would qualify you as a dependent for your parents if you are under 24.

 

If you are asking this for an education credit, In order to claim the credit, your school must be listed as an eligible institution with the Department of Education.  If it is listed, then assuming you  meet the rest of the criteria then you can take it.  If it is not listed, then you cannot take the Lifetime Learning Credit. 

 

@sfaith02

(Edited 3/7/2022 @ 5:14AM PST)

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Hal_Al
Employee
March 3, 2022

No.  You were not a student.  You were a soldier, on duty, doing the job you are being paid to do.  Even West Point cadets are not considered students, for tax purposes. 

 So, a person who attended technical school while a member of the military is not eligible for education credits on a tax return, nor is he considerd as being a student for purposes of being a "Qualifying Child" dependent.

 

However, basic training and advanced individual training, are considered temporary absences from your parents home, for the dependent test.  But, I don't think a 13 month technical course would meet that criteria.  So, for example (and it's a common example), you graduate from high school in May and leave home to join the army. Your basic and AIT training take 3 months.  You still qualify as your parent's dependent because you were a full time student (HS) for parts of 5 months and were still considered as living with them for more than half the year (military training was only a temporary absence). 

November 13, 2022

Original poster was in fact considered a student. The “13 month technical course” he was talking about, is called tech school. Which you go to immediately after you graduate Basic training. And this Tech school is for you to learn your job before you get to your first duty assignment. You mentioned “advanced individual training”, which is essentially the same thing, but “AIT” is army terminology…. So what it seems like is, the SmartA*s isn’t such a SmartA*s… good try though..

Employee
November 13, 2022

@Bleanbolt A person who attended technical school while a member of the military is not eligible for education credits on a tax return, which was the whole point of asking about student status in an income tax user forum.

**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.**
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August 18, 2022

It's a good question

August 18, 2022

yes,thanks for the answer

Carl11_2
Employee
November 23, 2022

Military tech school does not qualify one as a student, since the military member is paid a wage to attend said school, and has absolutely no qualified out of pocket expenses incurred for said school.

Also, for those who may be wondering, "AIT" stands for Advanced Individual Training. This is additional training/instruction conducted outside of normal school attendance and is usually geared towards those who may be a bit behind the rest of there class, to help them keep up. During my time, the most common reason for a trainee to be in AIT, is if they missed a few days of class due to illness. Once they've caught up, AIT is over.

DoninGA
Employee
November 23, 2022

@Carl11_2 In the US Army and in the US Air Force - AIT or Advanced Individual Training is where the service members go to training for an individual skill and takes place after a service member completes Basic Training. 

 

In the Navy this is called “A” School

 

In the Marine Corp this is called Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) School

May 4, 2023
This post has been deleted.

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