Other People's Money
Back to library
Education & Student Loans

American Opportunity + Lifetime Learning Credit Stack

Up to $2,500/yr AOTC per child + $2,000/yr LLC for grad/continuing ed.

Overview

AOTC (§25A(i)): $2,500/yr per undergrad for first 4 years — 40% refundable. LLC: $2,000/yr for grad, professional, or continuing ed — non-refundable. Coordinate with 529 distributions (can't double-dip on the same $) so the first $4K of qualified expenses is paid out-of-pocket for AOTC and remainder from 529. AOTC phases out at $80–90K single / $160–180K joint MAGI.

Best fit
Parents of college studentsGrad students under income capsAdults returning to school
Estimated impact
$2,000–$2,500/yr per student × 4 years

Click Generate advisory deep dive for mechanics, IRC citations, a step-by-step execution plan, a worked numeric example on your profile, costs, risks, and this-week actions.

More education & student loans strategies

See all Education & Student Loans strategies
OPM