Understanding Tax Form: IRS Form 1098-T
What is Form 1098-T?
Form 1098-T is a form provided to you and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by an eligible educational institution that reports, among other things, amounts paid for qualified tuition and related educational expenses during a calendar year period. Schools are required to report a form for every student enrolled who has a reportable transaction.
Who receives Form 1098-T?
Form 1098-T is provided to qualifying students by Jan. 31 for the prior calendar year. A copy is also provided to the IRS.
Importance of Form 1098-T for tax filing
You — or a person who claims you as a dependent — may be able to claim a deduction or tax credit for the qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the prior tax year.
NOTE: Form 1098-T is an informational document, not a tax opinion or advice. For personalized guidance on how to interpret or apply the information on your form, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified tax professional.
How do I access my 1098-T form?
All eligible students can access a copy of their Form 1098-T via MyPhoenix as of Jan. 31.
Once you are logged in:
Select the "Financial Plan" box toward bottom of the page
Under “Payments,” click the “Tax Forms/1098-T” link.
Additionally, unless you elected not to receive a paper form, your 1098-T form will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service. In this case, please allow an additional 1-3 weeks for delivery. If you need a new form mailed to your permanent address on file, please contact Student Financial Services at 1-888-346-8679.
My social security number is listed incorrectly on my Form 1098-T. Can I request a corrected form?
Please carefully check the information listed on your Form 1098-T. The information listed was obtained from your information on file with the University. If your Social Security Number (SSN) is incorrectly listed, please contact your academic advisor who will assist you.
I did not receive a 1098-T even though I attended University of Phoenix during the last tax year. When will I receive this form?
The University mails the required forms to the last known address on record for each student by Jan. 31. Please allow an additional 1-3 weeks to receive via U.S. mail. If you did not receive your form, please call 1-888-346-8679. Please note that the University is not required to provide a Form 1098-T in certain circumstances, such as when:
- There were no qualified educational expenses (e.g., all payments were for non-credit courses)
- The student is a nonresident alien and did not request the document, or
- All qualified tuition and related expenses were waived or paid entirely with grants/scholarships
I’m not a University of Phoenix student. Why did I receive this form?
You received a 1098-T from University of Phoenix because our business records show an account in your name, using your Social Security Number and other personal data. If you have not been a student at the University, you may be the victim of identity theft. Please contact the University at 1-800-676-6159 or ID.theft@391774.com.
Protecting against identity theft together
If you received a 1098-T tax form and you believe you may be the victim of identity theft, visit our Identity Theft page for more information about filing an incident report.
Frequently asked questions
These credits are explained in IRS Publication 970 "Tax Benefits for Education" and Chapter 35 of IRS Publication 17, which can be found on the IRS website.
The university may not offer any tax advice to our students. Please seek the advice of a tax professional.
Yes. Section 6050S of the Internal Revenue Code, as enacted by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, requires institutions to file information returns to assist taxpayers and the IRS in determining eligibility for the American Opportunity, Hope, and Lifetime Learning education tax credits.
No. The address shown on Form 1098-T is irrelevant for IRS income tax filing purposes. The single most important piece of identifying information on the form is your Social Security or taxpayer's identification number (TIN).
For more information on the education credits, please call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM or 1-800-829-3676. You can also visit their website.
The box descriptions below are for informational purposes only. If you have questions regarding the tax treatment of any item reported on your 1098T, we recommend that you contact a tax professional.
Box 1: Payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses
This box shows the total payments received from any source for qualified tuition and related expenses for the calendar year, less any related reimbursements or refunds.
Box 2: Amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses
This box will be blank. Educational Institutions only report by payments received.
Box 3:
This box will be left blank, since the university has not changed its current method of reporting from the previous year.
Box 4: Adjustments made for a prior year.
This box shows any adjustment made for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year Form 1098-T. This amount may reduce any allowable education credit that you claimed for the prior year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund). For more information see “recapture” in the index to Pub. 970 to report a reduction in your education credit or tuition and fees deduction.
Box 5: Scholarships or grants – 3rd party payments
This box shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by the university. Scholarships and grants generally include all payments received from 3rd parties (excluding family members and loan proceeds). This includes payments received from governmental and private entities such as the Department of Defense, civic, religious organizations, etc. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year (including those not reported by the institution) may reduce the amount of the education credit you claim for the year.
Box 6: Adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year.
This box shows adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year. This amount may affect the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or education credit that you claimed for the prior year. You may have to file an amended income tax return (Form 1040X) for the prior year.
Box 7:
This box shows whether the amount in box 1 or 2 includes amounts for an academic period beginning in the following reporting year (January – March). See Pub. 970 for how to report these amounts.
Box 8:
This box shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at the reporting institution. If you are at least a half-time student for at least one academic period that begins during the year, you meet one of the requirements for the American opportunity credit. You do not have to meet the workload requirement to qualify for the lifetime learning credit.
Box 9:
This box shows whether you are considered to be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree, graduate-level certificate, or other recognized graduate-level educational credential.
Box 10:
This box shows the total amount of reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses made by an insurer. The amount of reimbursements or refunds for the calendar year may reduce the amount of any education credit you can claim for the year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund).