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1098-T FAQ

What is the 1098-T Form? 

The 1098-T form also referred to as the "Tuition Payment Statement", is mailed to the student to assist you, the taxpayer, in determining if you are eligible to claim tax credits such as the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit for educational expenses. 

When will I receive my 1098-T Form? 

For those students who are eligible for a 1098T, your Form 1098-T will be available to you electronically on or before January 31st. If you do not download your 1098T electronically, it will be mailed to you.

Visit Heartland ECSI to obtain your 1098-T document in an electronic format. If you have not created a login, you will need to follow the directions on the screen to create a log in. If you already have a login, you can log in to the student portal and download your Form 1098-T from there. 

Why didn’t I get a 1098-T? 

You did not meet the eligibility requirements for receiving a 1098T. 1098- Ts are NOT provided to students in the following instances: 

  • Payments for courses that offered no academic credit 
  • Nonresident alien students unless requested by the student 
  • Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with grants/scholarships 
  • Students who are covered by a billing agreement with their employer or a government entity. 

Does the 1098-T include charges for books? 

No, the college does not include amounts paid for books in Box 2 of Form 1098-T since we do not require students to purchase their books from the college. 

Please keep in mind that our college cannot provide tax advice, and may suggest that you contact a qualified tax professional for any tax-related questions. 

Why don’t the numbers on Form 1098-T equal the amounts I paid to the college during the year? 

There are potentially 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, insurance, health service fees, books, or parking 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 so a student may have paid tuition for the Spring semester in 2018 despite the fact that classes didn’t start until 2019. 

The best and most accurate source of information about the amounts that you paid for qualified tuition and related expenses will be your Student Account Detail. 

My accountant says that the College must provide me with a Form 1098-T.

The college is not required, by the IRS, to furnish a Form 1098-T in the following instances:

Payments for courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program.

An enrolled student is a nonresident alien unless requested by the student.

Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with grants/scholarships.

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. 

How do I prepare my tax returns without a Form 1098- T?

Form 1098-T reports payments received from the student for qualified tuition and related expenses (Box 1) during the preceding calendar year. However, if the student receives scholarships, grants, and/or fellowships in the preceding year in excess of the amounts they paid in QTRE, the college is not required to issue a Form 1098-T to the student. When determining your eligibility for education-related tax credits and deductions, you will need to report the amount you paid for qualified education and related expenses. Therefore, your Student Account Detail will be the best and most accurate source of information for amounts paid for qualified education and related expenses. This is true regardless of whether you receive a Form 1098-T or not. 


If you have additional questions please contact GNTC's Business Office.