As a community college student, you are eligible to receive education tax credits that can reduce the expense of your education. The American opportunity tax credit (AOTC) is a credit for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education. You can get a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student. If the credit brings the amount of tax you owe to zero, you can have 40 percent of any remaining amount of the credit (up to $1,000) refunded to you. For more complete information visit https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/aotc