<prompt> Human: So Im a little confused about education credits... Im clueless about taxes and dont have the means to hire a professional so any advice is greatly appreciated! Background: My parents are divorced and both make over 100,000 per year. However, they are unwilling to pay for my college because I refused to testify for them during divorce, long story so I accepted a full merit scholarship to a public university instead of going to a better one I got into because I didnt qualify for aid due to their high income. I pay for housing and food and am sometimes reimbursed by my father. Rest of expenses I pay from my previous jobs savings- I havent bought textbooks for the past 3 years because I have basically no income. I dont live with either parent - maybe visiting my mom a maximum of 20 daysyear and my dad 5. The rest of the time I am backpacking, couch-surfing, living with friends etc. So my mom is claiming me as a dependent and gets either education credits or a refund this is what the internet tells me? I know for a fact that my parents would try to keep any money they made off my student status a secret, and keep it for themselves, because they assume I know nothing about education credits and taxes theyre right... for now. It seems that my mom is pocketing my education credit for the past 3 years while not contributing to my education expenses... what can I do about this? What would you do? Should I ask for reimbursement? Should I file as independent? I am really lost... would it be worthwhile to hire a professional? Thanks in advance for your help! Sincerely, Struggling Student - not that it narrows anything down haha... :  <response>: Dependent status implies support, so tell her thanks for keeping that support in the bank and ask for it. If no money results, file your taxes, claim yourself, submit returns for previous years. Inform the IRS. 