An eligible educational institution is a school offering higher education beyond high school. It’s any college, university, trade school or other post-secondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program run by the U.S. Department of Education.
This includes most accredited post-secondary institutions, whether public, nonprofit and privately-owned for-profit.
If you aren't sure your school is an eligible educational institution:
- Check if the school issued a Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement. Eligible educational institutions are required to issue students Form 1098-T (exceptions apply; see What is Form 1098-T and do I need it to claim AOTC?)
- Ask the school if it’s an eligible educational institution
- Check if the school is on the U.S. Department of Education's Database of Accredited Post Secondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) or the Federal Student Loan Program list.