1。 personal income,不是business income,那么这个income就好比是彩票收入一样,不交self employment tax;听你说,看来你们学校已经很明白地说是#1。
2。business income,不是personal income,那么你需要交self-employment tax,然后travel expense可能可以扣除。
But in your case, even if you count this as business income, your travel is probably not deductible.
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc511
"Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located.