Q. Can a grandparent deduct College tuition paid for a grandson's education?
A, No, unless you are also claiming the student as a dependent.
Only the person claiming the student's dependency (usually the parent) can claim a tuition credit (there is no deduction). But that person can claim the money paid by any other person (what you, the grandparent paid) in calculating the credit.
Although the general rule, in taxes, is that you must be the one making the payment, to get the deduction or credit, there is an exception for education.