1098-T Tax Form Info
Frequently Asked Questions
*TNU can discuss amounts listed on your tax forms. However, we cannot offer tax advice. If you have any questions you should consult with a qualified tax professional or contact the IRS Taxpayer Assistance line at 1-800-829-1040.
*You are NOT required to report your 1098-T unless you want to claim an education credit.
*Occasionally box 5 (grants/scholarships) exceed box 1 (payments). While tax filing platforms may state the grants/scholarships MAY be “treated as taxable income and that you may want to report it”, we have not encountered individuals being taxed, since the 1098-T is not intended to determine your taxable income. It is for claiming tax deductions. They are simply covering themselves in the oddity that this occurs.
How do I access my 1098-T?
If you are a current student and would like to receive your 1098-T form electronically, please log on to the Student Account Center through TNU4U to give your consent. Once your tax form for the current year is ready, you can view and print your form on the Student Account Center. Please click here to view detailed instructions on how to access your form.
If you are a former student or alumni and would like to receive your 1098-T form electronically, please give your consent by opting in here. Once your tax form for the current year is ready, you can view and print your form on https://heartland.ecsi.net/. Please click here to view detailed instructions on how to access your form.
How do I retrieve a copy of my 1098-T for prior years?
Send an email to financialservices@trevecca.edu. Please include full name, student ID number, and tax year for which you are requesting information.
When will I receive my 1098-T?
Why do I not have a form?
In order to have a form generated, you have to have made a payment between January 1st and December 31st and have QTRE for the current year or QTRE carryover from a prior year. You also must have a SSN or TIN on file with TNU.
What is the definition of QTRE?
Qualified Tuition and Related Expense includes your tuition, student resource fee, technology fee, course fees, and book charges. It does not include housing and meal plan charges or any fines.
Why are my 1098-T box 1 payments for 2023 less than they were in 2022?
Prior to 2023, spring semesters were billed in December of the prior year. Spring 2023 was billed in December 2022, so you would have received credit for spring 2023 payments in 2022. Spring 2024 was billed on 1/1/24, so fewer semesters were billed in tax year 2023 than in 2022. Summer 2021, fall 2021 and spring 2022 were billed in 2021. Summer 2022, fall 2022 and spring 2023 were billed in 2022. Summer 2023 and fall 2023 were billed in 2023, while spring 2024, summer 2024 and fall 2024 will be billed in 2024. As a result, your box 1 amount may be less than it was in 2023 and more in 2024. Going forward, 2024 terms will be billed in 2024, 2025 terms will be billed in 2025, etc. Certain tax software may indicate that you may be taxed if box 5 exceeds box 1, but we have not seen this occur. You are not required to file the form unless you are seeking a tuition and fees deduction. The 1098-T is not used to determine your taxable income, but for tax deductions.
I made payments in December for my spring semester, but they aren’t showing in box 1. Why?
Credit is received for payments made towards QTRE (tuition and resource/course fees, not room/board) billed from 1/1 to 12/31. Since you are not billed for the spring semester until after January 1 of that year, you are unable to receive credit for the spring semester until after January 1. Per the IRS rules, payments do not roll forward, but QTRE does. We encourage you to wait until after January 1 to pay for your spring semester, so you can maximize your credit in box 1 of your 1098-T.
What is the definition of QTRE carryover?
Qualified Tuition and Related Expense are any QTRE items (defined above) that exceeded payments made from 1/1 to 12/31. If you made payments, but the payments were less than the qualifying expenses, the qualifying expenses can carry into the new tax year. Unfortunately, payment amounts exceeding qualifying expenses in a tax year will not roll forward or count towards your current QTRE. This is a limitation of the current IRS guidelines for the 1098-T. If you encounter this and desire a better tax deduction, we suggest working with a tax professional.
Why are no payments listed in my box 1 when I made payment between January 1st and December 31st last year?
Box 1 is capped by qualifying expenses during the year (QTRE). In order to have a box 1 amount, you have to have a box 2 amount (box 2 operates in the background and is not visible). If you were not billed last year (January 1st – December 31st), then you will not have a box 1 amount.
*For tax years prior to 2024, spring semesters were billed in December and financial aid transmitted after the semester began in January, so box 1 may be blank while box 5 includes an amount.*
Example – My last semester attended was Spring 2021, but I made payments January 1st through December 31st and my box 1 amount is blank. If your last semester was Spring 2021, your Spring semester would have been billed in December 2020, so you would not have a box 1 amount unless you were registered late or had other QTRE billed in 2021 (books, fees..). You will have a box 5 amount since financial aid transmitted in 2021.
My box 1 is less than it should be. I made more payments between January 1st and December 31st last year than are listed in box 1.
Payments and financial aid are listed in box 1 of the 1098-T, but they are capped by prior year QTRE carryover plus any current year QTRE (defined above). Student refunds are deducted from box 1 and housing/meal scholarships are excluded. QTRE and QTRE carryover are not visible on the 1098-T, but operate in the background to cap box 1. We cannot increase your box 1 unless the system generated it incorrectly (this is uncommon). We can only provide you with the details (upon request) to provide to your tax professional. If you desire more tax deductions, please work with your tax professional.
What amounts are included as payments in Box 1?
Payments made during the calendar year towards QTRE are included in Box 1. This includes payments made from any source (including personal payments, employer payments (3rd party), scholarships/grants, loans, 529 plans, etc.). Refunds are deducted from the payment amount. Housing/Meal scholarships are not included. You can review your account statement online via the Student Account Center to confirm the amounts that were paid during the calendar year. (Please be aware if you mail in a payment by check during Christmas break when campus is closed, this payment will not be recorded until January).
What amounts are included as QTRE in box 2? Box 2 is not visible and works as a cap in the background.
Tuition, technology fees, student resource fees, course fees, and bookstore charges are most commonly identified as QTRE. Items that are not included in the box 2 calculation are housing charges, meal plan charges, fines, payment plan enrollment fees, and late fees.
What amounts are included as Scholarships and Grants in box 5?
Scholarships, grants, employer payments (3rd party), VA payments. Federal work study is not included.
What was the change for the 2018 tax year?
Due to a change to institutional reporting requirements under federal law, Trevecca has changed its reporting method. Box 3 on the 2018 form was be checked to indicate this change. Trevecca previously reported Box 2, which is amounts billed to your student account in “qualified tuition and related expenses” (QTRE) during the year, but since the 2018 year we have been required to report Box 1, which is amounts paid towards QTRE during the calendar/tax year.
