You are not a citizen until you are sworn in. If you are denied because of failure to pass the English or the civics test, you will be automatically rescheduled within 90 days. If you are not approved for some other reason, you may be given time to overcome the problem.
For 2009, the American Opportunity Credit--which is a variation of the Hope Credit--will be allowed for 4 years. For years before and after the new credit is allowed, the Hope credit is supposed to be for 2 years.
The American Opportunity Tax Credit. The first change to the Hope Credit, now called the American Opportunity Tax Credit, for 2009 and 2010 is that the maximum amount of the deduction has been increased to $2,500 for those eligible for the credit.