My niece received a 1099 Misc from her employer for a summer job. She is a full time student and can be claimed on her mother's tax return. Can she use a 1040ez to file a return - does it go on line 1 as wages? Or is this considered self employment income?
She earned 4900.00 total.

Probably 1040A
Before answering this, it's a good idea to know whether it's a tax advantage for the student to file herself, or her mother. She could do two returns to see, or read IRS publications on IRS.gov.
If she can't figure out the IRS website, you can give us more detail here, or she might want to pay a tax preparer.

Sorry, Joy, but this time you are not correct.

Aljenal:

Income recorded on a Form 1099-MISC is normally marked in Box 7 (non-employee compensation), which requires submission of Schedule C and SE, which can only be filed with Form 1040.

If you need professional help, email me at the email address in my profile.

I should have known that. I must have some dim memory of stipends for grad students (no SE) rather than for summer jobs.
Still - it might be better for the student to file her own taxes, depending on her mother's income and deductions?

The student STILL has to file.

The only question is whether she claims her own exemption or not.