<p>american opp credit appears on line 40 in the 1040a , but fafsa refers to line 31 (copied below).</p>
<p>2011 Additional Financial Information</p>
<p>Education credits (American Opportunity, Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits) from IRS Form 1040A-line 31</p>
<p>AOC is reported on both line 31 and line 40. The non refundable part of the AOC is reported on line 31. The refundable part is reported on line 40. </p>
<p>FAFSA is only concerned with the non refundable part of the credit. It is used as an allowance to reduce income in the EFC formula so as not to penalize you for having reduced taxes by the amount of the non refundable portion of the credit. (Federal taxes from line 35 are an allowance against income in the EFC formula - as this number has been reduced by the non refundable credit on line 31, your allowances for taxes would also be reduced which would increase your EFC - so the number on line 31 is reported separately and used as an allowance against income to bring the EFC back to where it would be without the credit. FAFSA does not ask about the refundable part of the credit on line 40 because it did not reduce your tax number on line 35.)</p>
<p>great answer. thanks</p>