1098-T FAQ

Who is eligible to receive Form 1098-T?

The University of Redlands will make Form 1098-T available to students who were enrolled and made a reportable transaction during the calendar year. Redlands only issues Form 1098-T to the following:

  • - U.S. citizens
  • - Permanent residents
  • - Non-resident aliens who have a taxpayer identification number (TIN) on their student records

What should I do with Form 1098-T?

Depending on your income (or your family’s income, if you are a dependent), whether you were considered full or half-time enrolled, and the amount of your qualified educational expenses for the year, you may be eligible for a federal education tax credit. (You can find detailed information about claiming education tax credits in IRS Publication 970, page 9.)

The dollar amounts reported on your Form 1098-T may assist you in completing IRS Form 8863 – the form used for calculating the education tax credits that a taxpayer may claim as part of your tax return.

The University of Redlands 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.

Why is Box 1 (payments received) being reported instead of box 2?

In previous years, your 1098-T included a figure in Box 2 that represented the qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) we billed to your student account for the calendar year. Due to a change to institutional reporting requirements under federal law, beginning with tax year 2018, we report in Box 1 the amount of QTRE that was paid during the year.

What transactions are included in Box 1?

Box 1 includes the total amount of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) from all sources during the calendar year, less any reimbursements or refunds made during the calendar year. This includes, but is not limited to, student payments, payments made by family or relatives, 3rd party payments, scholarships, grants, loans, distributions from a 529 savings plan, and employer benefits.

Why is the amount reported in Box 1 less than the amount actually paid on the account?

While Box 1 includes the total amount of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) from all sources during the calendar year, it is limited by the amount of QTRE we billed to your student account for the calendar year. For example, if you made a payment of $2,000, received a grant for another $2,000, but were only charged $3,000 for tuition, the amount in Box 1 will be $3,000 even though $4,000 of payments were made.

My loan/scholarship/grant was reduced after the tax year. Why is the full amount reported?

The University of Redlands is required to report only transactions that occur within the calendar year and cannot modify the reporting method under any circumstances. Please seek the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser to see if it may be beneficial to utilize your personal records and student account statements to compliment the data reported on Form 1098-T. Should you require any additional documentation, please contact Student Financial Services.

The amount in Box 1 still doesn't seem right.

Remember, Box 1 is limited by the amount of qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) billed during the calendar year. QTRE are tuition, fees, and course materials required for a student to be enrolled at or attend an eligible educational institution. The following are not QTRE:

  • - Amounts paid for any course or other education involving sports, games, or hobbies, unless the course or other education is part of the student's degree program or is taken to acquire or improve job skills.
  • - Charges and fees for room, board, insurance, medical expenses (including student health fees), transportation, and similar personal, living, or family expenses.

Do scholarships and grants count toward both Box 1 and Box 5?

Yes. The total amount of scholarships and grants is reported in Box 5. However, scholarships and grants also qualify as payments received and are therefore reported in Box 1 as well.

What information is reported to the IRS?

The University of Redlands reports the following student information to the IRS:

  • - Name
  • - Social security number or taxpayer identification number
  • - Payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses
  • - Dollar amount of all scholarships or grants
  • - Permanent address
  • - Whether you were a graduate student during the calendar year
  • - Whether you were at least a half-time student during the calendar year

Why am I being asked to provide my SSN/ITIN?

We are required by the IRS to request your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) annually if it is not recorded on your student account. IRS Form W-9S is available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9s.pdf. Complete the following fields in the top section (Part 1) of IRS Form W-9S (please print):

  • - Name (as it appears on your Social Security card)
  • - Taxpayer Identification Number (Your SSN or other identification number)
  • - Address
  • - City, State, and Zip Code
  •  

Please return the form to Student Financial Services:

  • - In person
  • - By U.S. Postal Service to
  •  
  •       Student Financial Services

      University of Redlands
      1200 E Colton Ave
      Redlands, CA 92373

  • - By fax to (909) 335-5399.
  •  
  • For security reasons, DO NOT EMAIL the information or attach Form W-9S to an e-mail.

When will Form 1098-T be available?

Form 1098-T will be distributed to all eligible students by January 31 following the end of the most recent tax year.

How do I access my 1098-T form?

Your 1098-T form will be mailed to you on or before January 31 following the end of the most recent tax year. To retrieve your 1098-T electronically:

  • - Go to Self-Service
  • - Select Tax Information from the home menu (under Financial Information > Student Finance in the navigation bar)
  • - Give consent to receive your 1098-T electronically (proxy users may not give consent)
  • - Click on the 1098-T Statement link next to the tax year you wish to view

I'm a proxy user. Why can't I see my student's 1098-T?

There are two reasons you may be unable to see your student's 1098-T.

  1. 1. The student has not granted you permission to view their tax information. To grant permission, they should access View/Add Proxy Access under user options in Self-Service.
  2. 2. The student has granted you permission to view their tax information, but they have not given consent to receive their 1098-T in electronic format. Your student must access their 1098-T and give consent before you can view it.