Explanation of IRS Form 1098-T

• The IRS Form 1098-T is an information form filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
• The IRS Form 1098-T that you received reports amounts billed to you for qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as other related information.
• You, or the person who may claim you as a dependent, may be able to take either the tuition and fees deduction or claim an education credit on Form 1040 or 1040A for the qualified tuition and related expenses that were actually paid during the calendar year.
• The 1098-T Supplemental Information that College of Mount Saint Vincent is providing can assist you and your tax preparer in completing your tax return. Follow the instructions provided on the 1098-T Supplemental Information page to view and print paid tuition information.
• There is no need to attach Form 1098-T to your tax return.
• All information and assistance that College of Mount Saint Vincent can provide to you is contained in this notice.
• There is no IRS requirement that you must claim the tuition and fees deduction or an education credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify.

Amounts Billed for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses
Box 2 of Form 1098-T reports the qualified tuition and related expenses billed to you during the calendar year. Qualified tuition and related expenses are sometimes referred to as qualified education expenses, although the terms are not always interchangeable. For purposes of the Form 1098-T provided by College of Mount Saint Vincent, the following categories of charges are included or not included in qualified tuition and related expenses:

College of Mount Saint Vincent is choosing to report qualified tuition and related expenses that were billed during the calendar year, rather than the amount that was paid. In general, qualified tuition and related expenses are considered to be billed when you register for classes. The billed amount of tuition and fees reported in box 2 is reduced by the following deductions:

Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses Reduced by:

• Current-year reductions in billed amounts for semesters billed during the calendar year. For example, a reduction due to withdrawal from classes. The reductions may or may not have resulted in a refund, depending on whether the billed amounts had been paid prior to the reduction.
• Tuition charges waived during the calendar year due to the student’s status as a benefits eligible College of Mount Saint Vincent faculty or staff member or the spouse or dependent of a College of Mount Saint Vincent faculty or staff member.
• Tuition charges waived during the calendar year due to the student’s status as an eligible research or teaching assistant/associate.
• Payments received and applied to tuition charges from third party sponsors.

Additional detailed information regarding the amount reported in box 2 is available by logging in to Self-Service, selecting the “Student” tab at the top of the page, selecting the “Student Account” option and clicking on the “Select Tax Year” link.  This supplemental information reflects all qualified tuition and related expenses billed by semester and type of fee. This detailed information is supplemental and is not reported to the IRS.

The amount shown in box 2 for qualified tuition and related expenses billed during the calendar year may represent an amount that is different from the amount actually paid during the calendar year, although for many students the amounts will be the same. Under section 25A of the Internal Revenue Code and the associated regulations, a taxpayer may take a tuition and fee deduction or claim an education tax credit only with respect to qualified tuition and related expenses actually paid during the calendar year. You may not be able to take a tuition and fee deduction or claim an education credit with respect to the entire amount billed and reported in box 2. Please link to the 1098-T Supplemental Information page for directions on how to access supplemental information provided by the College of Mount Saint Vincent regarding qualified tuition and related expenses that were paid during the calendar year.

Adjustments Made For a Prior Year
Box 4 of Form 1098-T reports adjustments made to qualified tuition and related expenses reported on a prior year Form 1098-T in Box 2. The amount reported in Box 4 represents a reduction in tuition billed during a prior calendar year. For example, if you were billed for Spring semester classes in December and withdrew from classes in January, Box 4 reports the decrease in billed tuition due to the withdrawal. The amount reported in Box 4 for adjustments to qualified tuition and related expenses may reduce any allowable education credit you may claim for the prior year. See IRS Form 8863 or IRS Publication 970 for more information.

Scholarships or Grants
Box 5 of Form 1098-T reports the total of scholarships or grants administered and processed by the College of Mount Saint Vincent Financial Aid and Scholarship Services (FASS) during the calendar year. The amount reported in Box 5 does not include:

• Tuition waivers provided during the calendar year due to the student’s status as a benefits eligible College of Mount Saint Vincent faculty or staff member or the spouse or dependent of a College of Mount Saint Vincent faculty or staff member.
• Tuition waivers provided during the calendar year due to the student’s status as an eligible research or teaching assistant/associate.
• Student loans, for example subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS, and alternative loans.
• Work-study.
• Scholarships, grants, reimbursements or other types of sponsorships not administered or processed by College of Mount Saint Vincent FASS.

The amount of any scholarships or grants reported for the calendar year and other similar amounts not reported (because they are not administered and processed by College of Mount Saint Vincent) may reduce the amount of any allowable tuition and fee deduction or education credit that you are entitled to.

Beginning with the 2011 tax year, Veterans Education Benefit amounts received (Post 9/11 GI Bill) will now be included in Box 5.  For additional information on Veterans’ Education Benefits, please visit either the IRS or the Department of Veterans Affairs website.

Additional detailed information regarding scholarships and grants reported in box 5 is available by heading to the College of Mount Saint Vincent website and reviewing the Form 1098-T Tuition Tax FAQs link or the 1098-T Supplemental Information page. This supplemental information reflects all scholarships and grants by semester and type of aid.  This detailed information is supplemental and is not reported to the IRS.

Adjustments to Scholarships or Grants For a Prior Year
Box 6 of Form 1098-T reports adjustments made to scholarships or grants reported on a prior year Form 1098-T in Box 5. The amount reported in Box 6 represents a reduction in scholarships or grants reported for a prior calendar year. The amount reported in Box 6 for adjustments to scholarships or grants may affect the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or education credit you may claim for the prior year. See IRS Form 8863 for how to report these amounts.

Additional Information Reported
There are three additional information boxes that may have a check mark in them.

Box 7 indicates, if checked, that Box 2 includes amounts for an academic period beginning in the next calendar year. For example, if you registered for the upcoming Spring semester during November or December, this box will be marked.

Box 8 shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at College of Mount Saint Vincent for at least one academic period during the calendar year. If this box is marked, you meet one of the requirements for the Hope tax credit. You do not have to meet the workload requirement to qualify for the tuition and fee deduction or the lifetime learning credit.

Box 9 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. If you are enrolled in a graduate program, you are not eligible for the American Opportunity credit, but you may qualify for the tuition and fee deduction or the lifetime learning credit.

Attaching Form 1098-T to Your Tax Return
You are not required to attach IRS Form 1098-T to your tax return. The IRS Form 1098-T is not like the IRS Form W-2 obtained from your employer, which is required to be attached to the tax return filed with the IRS. The primary purpose of the IRS Form 1098-T is to let you know that College of Mount Saint Vincent has provided required information to the IRS to assist them in determining who may be eligible to claim the tuition and fee deduction or an education credit.

If your 1098-T is Incorrect
The Social Security Number and address on Form 1098-T were obtained from information provided to College of Mount Saint Vincent, although the address shown on Form 1098-T is irrelevant for IRS income tax filing purposes. The single most important information on the form is your Social Security Number. Your Social Security Number must be correct. Please call the Registrar’s office at (718) 405-3484 or email at registrar@mountsaintvincent.edu to provide updated proof of your Social Security Number or if the Social Security Number on your 1098-T is not the correct number.