In 1997, the Taxpayer Relief Act established two education tax credits and a deduction for student loan interest. These credits are explained in detail in Publication 970 from the IRS.

The 1098-T form is a Tuition Payment Statement that includes information that colleges and universities are required to issue for the purpose of determining a student's eligibility for education tax credits.

 

Dear Student: 

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 (tax) year. Due to a change to institutional reporting requirements under federal law, beginning with tax year 2018, we will report in Box 1 the amount of QTRE you paid during the year. 

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.

 University of Alaska, Fairbanks 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.

By federal law, all forms must be postmarked by Jan. 31, each year .

No, in fact we encourage students to access their 1098-T tax forms online through UAOnline . Once logged in, go to the Student Services and Account Information tab and select Student Account->Tax Notification (1098T).

You are eligible to receive a 1098-T if you incurred qualified charges during the past calendar year that were not reported on the previous year's 1098-T statement.