An eligible educational institution is a school offering higher education beyond high school. It is any college, university, trade school, or other post-secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program run by the U.S. Department of Education.
This includes most accredited public, nonprofit and privately-owned–for-profit postsecondary institutions.
If you aren't sure if your school is an eligible educational institution:
- Check to see if the school issued a Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement. Eligible educational institutions are required to issue students Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement (some exceptions apply).
- Ask your school if it is an eligible educational institution, or
- See if your school is on the U.S. Department of Education's Database of Accredited Post Secondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) or the Federal Student Loan Program list.
Return to Education Credits
Use the Interactive Tax Assistant to see if you’re eligible to claim an education credit.
Resources
- Compare Education Credits
- Qualified Education Expenses
- Education Credits: Questions and answers
- No double benefits allowed
- Eligible educational institution
- Avoid Common AOTC Errors
- Education Credits Tweets
- What You Need to Know about AOTC and LLC
- AOTC Key Messages
- Education Credits Products
- Education Credits—AOTC and LLC
- Lifetime Learning Credit
- Tax benefits for education: Information center