You can get the tax deduction for your own or spouse’s or children’s higher education provided the payment is made out of the income chargeable to tax. Nowdeduction is also available to a legal guardian for the child’s education w.e.f. asst. year 2010.11
From asst. year 2010-11 “higher education” means any course of study pursued after passing the Senior Secondary Examination or its equivalent from any School, Board or University recognized by the Central Government or State Government or Local Authority or by any other authority authorized by the Central Government orState Government or Local Authority to do so.
Up to asst year 2009-10 “Higher studies” means full-time studies for any graduate or post-graduate course in engineering, medicine, management or for post-graduate course in applied sciences or pure sciences including mathematics and statistics;
For asst. years 2006-07 and 2007-08, the tax deduction on education loan orstudent loan was available only for your own higher education not for spouse or children”
Period of Deduction on Education Loan
The tax benefit shall be available for maximum period of 8 consecutive assessment years beginning from the assessment year in which the assessee starts paying the interest on the loan.
The tax benefits on education loan are only valid once you start the repayment and moreover they are only available up to eight years. For instance if your loan tenure exceeds eight years, you cannot claim for deductions beyond eight years.
Hence it is better that the education loan is repaid within eight years. Unless if the loan amount is very high and it is difficult to afford a high amount of equated monthly installment (EMI), one should not opt for education loan with longer tenure.”
Maximum Limit of tax deduction u/s 80E of Education Loan
From assessment year 2006-07, the entire payment of interest will be allowed asdeduction during 8 consecutive assessment years beginning from the year in which payment of interest has began.
Deduction is available only for repayment of Education loan only
From assessment year 2006-07, the tax deduction on loan is available only forinterest payment, not for principal payment of loan. However, it was an allowablededuction up to assessment year 2005-06.
Approved charitable institution means an institution specified in, or, as the case may be, an institution established for charitable purposes and [approved by the prescribed authority] under clause (23C) of section 10 or an institution referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 80G(2)(a);
Financial institution means a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949) applies (including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act); or any other financial institution which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf;