I've read the 'Top Ten facts about the Tuition and Fees Deduction' and a whole lot about the Tuition and Fees Deduction on irs.gov and all over web. However my question has still not been answered anywhere. What I want to know is: What if I paid for Application Fee that was required before they would even consider my daughter for the institution and then also started making Tuition payments in 2011 BEFORE my daughter was ever enrolled. As far as I can tell I do qualify in every other way with the exception that my daughter was not enrolled and did not attend classes yet. She is set to attend when she graduates in July 2012. It does not seem right that just because some of the tuition payments were in 2011 instead of the year in which she is actually going to attend that I can't claim that on my taxes. Her institution has a program with allows one to start making payments toward tuition very early on(Her institution is one that qualifies for Tuition and Feeds Deduction, I already checked). I did not receive 1098-T(probably because my daughter hasn't even attended classes yet). I called institution and asked and was told that next year, in 2013 when I get the 1098-T it will only be for payments made in 2012. I am trying to add what I paid in 2011 while doing my taxes this year in 2012 but one of the very first questions (using Turbo Tax) is "Was student enrolled when payments were made" or something very close to that nature. Of course if I say 'No' then it just kicks me out and tells me I can't claim this credit. Thank you for any advice anyone might have.

“What I want to know is: What if I paid for Application Fee that was required before they would even consider my daughter for the institution and then also started making Tuition payments in 2011 BEFORE my daughter was ever enrolled. As far as I can tell I do qualify in every other way with the exception that my daughter was not enrolled and did not attend classes yet. “----->The tuition and fees must be for an academic period beginning in the year for which you are filing your return, or during the first three months of the following year. For example, tuition you pay in December, 2011 for a spring semester 2012 or winter quarter beginning in January of the following year,2012 is deductible in the year you pay it. You may be eligible to deduct certain expenses related to obtaining a college education, including required college application fees, that you paid for yourself, your spouse or your dependents. You may be eligible for this deduction if you file your taxes as single, MFJ, HOH, or QW You are not eligible to take this deduction if you file as MFS. You are not eligible to take this deduction if you can be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's income tax return, even it that person does not claim you as an exemption.