<p>Four academic years can involve five (or more if you take time off along the way) tax years. If you read through the instructions carefully at [Internal</a> Revenue Service](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov%5DInternal”>http://www.irs.gov) you will find examples of how to use the deductions and credits in different situations. In our case, it makes sense to not use either of these for the tax year associated with the first (fall 2010) semester, so that they can be used in the tax year associated with the last (spring 2014) semester. I was happy to find out that this is possible.</p>
<p>Take the time to read through the instructions. They really aren’t as difficult to understand as they may seem at first glance, and they are available both in html and in pdf format.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>