<p>My son finished his freshman year first semester with a taxable income amount of $21,894.oo all due to an excess of scholarship funds. This is after deducting eligible expenses including tuition, books, supplies, materials. A blessing from above, hands down. We plan to report that amount as income on his income tax and pay the taxes on it. The amount of tax owed on that will be $2,106.oo. </p>
<p>His scholarships are reoccurring, so I do believe this excess money will be saved for graduate school.</p>
<p>My question is regarding the parent's income taxes. We are planning to claim our son as a dependent on our taxes. Our combined income is less than $46,000, with our AGI substantially lower due to a carry forward loss due to losing our home to hurricane Ike in 2008. We also have another child in college. </p>
<p>Are we able to use any college related expenses that went towards room and board to receive the educational credits on our taxes? </p>
<ol>
<li><p>call your accountant. Free advice you got on the internet is worth what you paid for it. Only your tax guy can look at ALL your numbers and give you accurrate advice.</p></li>
<li><p>Then, since you asked for free advice: </p></li>
</ol>
<p>The amount of the scholarship that is taxable is the amount OVER tuition, fees, and books. Are you saying your S got $21K in scholarships over his allowable expenses? If so, heck yes, that is a blessing from above (so why wasn’t this excess used for room and board?)</p>
<p>To my knowlege, there are no tax credits available for room/board expenses for your college student.</p>
<p>I see that one of the scholarships he is getting is for the Buick Achievers program?</p>
<p>Quite generous, but it says nothing about allowing students to save extra monies for future use. Most scholarships are intended to pay educational expenses that are incurred during the year of receipt, not for personal savings.</p>
<p>*The scholarships can be used towards the total cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, required equipment, room and board and other allowable expenses.</p>
<p>The actual award amount will not exceed the total cost of the student’s tuition, fees, books, supplies, required equipment, room and board and other allowable expenses, less other gift aid known at the time of application (scholarships, grants and other awards that do not have to be paid back). Awards are renewable for the given years noted above or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon maintaining a cumulative 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), full-time enrollment and continuing to major in an eligible field of study.
*</p>
<p>I agree that you need to sit down with a tax preparer who can look at your whole specific picture. Even if someone here is a tax person, any advice they give you may be worthless since they won’t be able to know or see the whole picture.</p>
<p>Also, your phrase “We are planning to claim our son as a dependent on our taxes.” jumped out at me. Keep that plan, because you and/or the childs other parent are probably the only ones who can claim your son right now. He can not claim himself, nor can anyone else claim him, as long as he is your dependent. And, generally, a full time student under the age of 24 is considered a dependent of his/her parents.</p>
<p>I used to prepare taxes at H&R Block and had a lot of young people paying their own way who couldn’t claim their own dependency because they were also under 24 and full time students. Only their parents could claim them. It has been several years since I have prepared taxes and the rules may have changed.</p>
<p>yes, but in this case she was talking about taxable income and claiming her child on her taxes. Under 24 and a full time student as a dependent on a parents taxes was an IRS rule when I was doing taxes. Like my disclaimer said, the rules may have changed since then (but I doubt this one did).</p>
<p>Personally, I think it is wrong to take scholarship money intended for school expenses and keep it if you get extra. It seems like the scholarships are not intended to pad bank accounts. He might use the $ for grad school, or maybe for a new car…no way to police that. Imagine how many deserving students aren’t getting their education funded because some people accept more $ than they need. Putting it towards room and board wouldn’t bother me, so if that is happening that is fine. I’m talking about those who have ALL expenses covered in excess. You should claim the excess as going to room and board, and don’t put it in his bank,then it isn’t income is it? Makes sense to me anyway.</p>