1098-T Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a Form 1098-T and why did I receive one?
This form is provided to help you or the person who may claim you as a dependent determine whether or not you may be able to claim an educational credit on your taxes each year. IRS Form 1098-T is a required informational Tuition Payments Statement provided by colleges and universities for the purpose of determining a student’s eligibility for the Hope and Lifetime Learning Education tax credits. To help you determine your eligibility, please review IRS Publication 970, ask your local IRS office, or contact a local tax advisor to help you understand what this form may mean for you if you receive one.
What if I did not receive a Form 1098-T in the mail or online?
Anderson University is not required, per the IRS, to furnish a Form 1098-T in the following cases:
- Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with grants/scholarships (Box 5 Scholarships exceeds QTRE Payments in Box 1).
- Enrolled student is a nonresident alien (international student), unless requested by the student.
- Non-degree seeking students (dual enrolled, auditing, or courses not counting toward a degree seeking program)
- Students for whom you do not maintain a separate financial account and whose qualified tuition and related expenses are covered by a formal billing arrangement between an institution and the student’s employer or a governmental entity, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.
- Payments for courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program.
Why is a 1098-T not generated for Non-Resident Aliens (international students)?
Anderson University is not required to supply Non-Resident Alien students with a form 1098-T according to the guidelines established by the Internal Revenue Service. However, one can be generated upon student request and the information will be forwarded to the IRS. You should refer to Publication 970 on the IRS website to determine if you are in fact eligible to take an educational credit. Please note: to have a 1098-T generated you must have a valid social security or tax identification number (ITIN) on file with the University.
Why don’t the numbers on Form 1098-T equal the amounts I paid to AU during the year?
There are many reasons for this discrepancy. First, the amount in Box 1 only represents amounts paid for qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) and does not include payments made for room and board, service fees, or parking, for example, which, though important, are not considered mandatory education expenses for tax purposes. Secondly, Form 1098-T reports amounts that the student paid in a certain year, and the pay date does not necessarily correspond to the dates that the classes were attended. For example, tuition for the Spring semester is typically billed in November of each academic year so a student may have paid tuition for the Spring semester in 2022 despite the fact that classes didn’t start until 2023. The best and most accurate source of information about the amounts that you paid for qualified tuition and related expenses will be on your billing statement which can be found in Workday under your Finances App.
How were the amounts on my 1098T calculated?
To calculate the amount in Box 1 the University determines the net of your QTRE (Qualifying Tuition and Related Expenses) for the calendar year. Then the payments made during the calendar year are calculated, less any refunds. The lesser of the two is reported in Box 1. For example:
IF the net of your Payments exceeds your QTRE; we reported your QTRE in Box 1
IF the net of your QTRE exceeds your Payments; we reported your Payments in Box 1
Please note: Per IRS regulations, the figure provided in Box 1 will never exceed your QTRE. Additionally, all the figures used in the calculations occur during the calendar year, not the academic year.
What semesters are included in my Form 1098-T?
Box 1 of Form 1098-T reflects payments made during the calendar year for qualified tuition and related expenses and it is not based on when the classes were attended or billed to the student account. Your student account activity and billing statement will show the dates payments were posted to your account and are a valuable resource for determining the semesters that are included in your Form 1098-T. You can access your account activity and billing statement within Workday under the Finances App.
What does each box represent on the 1098T Form?
Box 1: Payments Received for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses – Box 1 reports the qualifying tuition and related expenses paid during the calendar year.
Box 2: Blank – Amounts billed are no longer allowed to be reported per the IRS regulation starting with the 2018 calendar year. All 1098Ts prior to the year 2018 were reported with Box 2 for all NCCC Students.
Box 3: Checkbox for a Change in Reporting Method – The IRS determined all schools must report Box 1 starting with the 2018 1098T. This box was checked on all 2018 1098T forms as our College made the change.
Box 4: Adjustments Made for a Prior Year – Represents a reduction in qualifying tuition and related expenses reported for a prior calendar year.
Box 5: Scholarships or Grants – Displays the total amount of any scholarships or grants processed during the calendar year for payment of the student’s cost of attendance.
Box 6: Adjustments to Scholarships or Grants for a Prior Year – Similar to Box 4, Box 6 will show any reduction to the amount of scholarships or grants previously reported.
Box 7: Checkbox for Amounts for an Academic Period Beginning January through March of the next year- Box 7 is checked if any amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses reported for this tax form relate to an academic period which has yet to begin. For example, if you were billed in 2022 for the 2023 spring semester, the box will be checked.
Box 8: Check if at Least Half-Time Student – This box is checked if the student was at least a half-time student during any academic period that began in the reporting year. A half-time student is a student enrolled for at least half the full-time academic workload for the course of study the student is pursuing (6 credits).
Box 9: Blank Not applicable to AU
Box 10: Blank Not applicable to AU
Please note: The information provided here is NOT tax advice. It is offered only as general information for Anderson University students and their families. Anderson University is unable to provide you with individual tax advice, but should you have questions, you should seek the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser.
How to obtain a copy of your 1098T:
Option 1:
- To obtain a copy of your 1098-T navigate to the Heartland ECSI website.
- Select the first box “Want to look up your 1098-T or 1098-E tax form?”
- Enter the requested information
- Select the + beside the status for 1098-T Statement
- From here you can view and/or print your 1098-T
Option 2:
- To obtain a copy of your 1098-T, login to your Workday account
- Navigate to the Finances app
- Select Finances
- Manage my 1098-T