Do tuition and related expenses paid to attend a private high schools qualify for the education credits?
No. Expenses paid to attend high school do not qualify for the education credits because a high school is not an eligible educational institution. In general , an eligible educational institution is an accredited college, university, vocational school, or other post-secondary educational institution including accredited, public, nonprofit, and proprietary (private-owned, profit-making) postsecondary institutions. Additionally, in order to be an eligible educational institution, the school must be eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the Department of Education. For more information, refer to Form 8863 (PDF), Education Credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits), Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, or Tax Topic 605, Education Credit.
