May I claim a tax credit/ deduction for tuition and supplies I paid for my dental hygiene classes?

Question

The program will give me a certificate, not a degree. I also have$2500 I paid to the school for supplies. I was required to purchase these supplies directly from the college.

Answer 1

Yes you can, based on the information you provided your expenses meet the qualifications for the Hope/Lifetime Learning Credit
Qualified Education Expenses
For purposes of the Hope credit, qualified education expenses are tuition and certain related expenses required for enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution.

Eligible educational institution. An eligible educational institution is any college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the Department of Education. It includes virtually all accredited public, nonprofit, and proprietary (privately owned profit-making) postsecondary institutions. The educational institution should be able to tell you if it is an eligible educational institution.

Certain educational institutions located outside the United States also participate in the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs.

Related expenses. Student-activity fees and expenses for course-related books, supplies, and equipment are included in qualified education expenses only if the fees and expenses must be paid to the institution as a condition of enrollment or attendance.

Publication 970
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/index.html

Answer 2

Is the school an eligible institution for FAFSA student aid? If not you can't take the Hope or Lifetime Learning credits. If students in your program at your school are entitled to apply for FAFSA aid, then you can take those credits for both the tuition and the supplies. The credits are available for post-secondary education at eligible institutions - it's not a requirement that you're in a degree program.

Answer 3

Yes BUT only if you worked as a dental hygienist during the course. Or you worked in some similar capacity. It must be expenses related to your current income source.