Will I be able to take the American opportunity tax credit if I pay my daughter’s college expenses with a combination of 529 plan money and her $5,500 in federal student loans? I don’t think I can since I am not a cosigner on her federal loans (?) and know I can’t double dip tax credit with 529 funds. Would I need to spend $4,000 of my own money in order to qualify for the full tax credit?
No. For purposes of claiming the AOTC:
Qualified education expenses paid by a dependent you claim on your tax return, or by a third party for that dependent, are considered paid by you.
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf (see Chapter 2 on the AOTC, page 11)