For tax years beginning after June 29, 2015, the law requires a taxpayer (or dependent) to have received a Form 1098-T from an eligible educational institution in order to claim the tuition and fees deduction, American opportunity credit, of the lifetime learning credit. Educational institutions are not required to send a Form 1098-T to the student under existing rules, for example if the student is a nonresident alien, has qualified expenses paid entire with scholarships, or has qualified education expenses paid under a formal billing agreement. A taxpayer may claim education benefits without a Form 1098-T if the taxpayer otherwise qualifies, can demonstrate that the taxpayer (or dependent) was enrolled at an eligible educational institution, and can substantiate the payment of qualified tuition and related expenses.
Students and families should consult their tax advisor or IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, to determine their eligibility. The 1098-T form is informational only and should not be considered as a tax opinion or advice. If you have questions about how to calculate your education tax benefit, you should consult your tax professional or refer to the IRS.
Learn more about 1098-T forms with frequently asked questions below:
Q: Will I receive a 1098-T form?
A: Students who were enrolled during the previous calendar year will receive a 1098-T if they had tuition and fees billed during the calendar year, January 1 through December 31, or if they had scholarships and grants disbursed to them during this time.
Please note that Bryn Mawr College bills tuition and fees prior to the start of the semester. For example, spring tuition is billed in December when the semester does not begin until January. Box 7 will be checked if your current 1098-T includes tuition for a term that will occur in the future. If you graduated in May it is likely that your tuition and fees were already reflected on the previous year’s 1098-T form. However, if you received scholarships and grants for the spring semester this will report on the current year’s 1098-T form. This is because scholarships and grants are not disbursed until the semester is underway.
Q.When will I receive my 1098-T form?
A: In compliance with federal law, Bryn Mawr College 1098-T forms will be postmarked annually by January 31st. You should receive your 1098-T form within a few days after this date. Currently enrolled students can grant permission to receive the form via BIONIC through Self-Service, in the Finance Section’s Drop-Down Menu of Student Center.
Contact the Student Accounts area for questions regarding the 1098-T form.
Q: How will I receive my 1098-T form?
A: If you are a currently enrolled student, and have granted permission you can obtain your 1098-T form by logging into BIONIC’s Student Center; access your 1098-T Finance Section’s Drop-Down Menu and clicking on View 1098-T Form.
You will receive your 1098-T form in the mail at the address on record if you have not granted permission.
Q: Can my parent or guardian access my 1098-T form?
A: All requests for a 1098-T form must come from the student. If the student has selected the online option, the current and prior year Form 1098-T will be available to view in BIONIC through through Self-Service, in the Finance Section’s Drop-Down Menu of Student Center. Any request for a copy of the 1098-T must come from the student and will be sent directly to the student.
Q: Why is box 1 empty? Can I receive a 1098-T that reflects my payments?
A: The 1098-T form is completed by filling in either Box 1 (payments received) or Box 2 (tuition billed), not both. For tax year 2017 Bryn Mawr College reported tuition billed. Beginning with tax year 2018 Box 2 (tuition billed) will no longer be an option and instead the College will report in Box 1 (payments received).
Students and families are responsible for maintaining their own records for tax purposes. The College does not provide statements of payment received for tax purposes. Currently enrolled students may login to Bionic, self-service, and select view e-bill/make a payment to retrieve their statement history.
Q: Why didn’t I receive a 1098-T?
A: There may be several reasons why a student did not receive a 1098-T form; the most common are:
- 1. Your tuition was paid in full with tuition remission, tuition benefits, or financial aid.
Students whose tuition is offset in full by tuition remission, tuition benefit, or financial aid will not receive a 1098-T as the amount of qualified tuition is reduced to zero.
- 2. You graduated in May and did not receive any scholarships and grants for that Spring semester.
Bryn Mawr College bills tuition and fees prior to the start of the semester. If you graduated in May, your spring tuition was billed the prior November and December even though the spring semester did not begin until January. Your spring tuition was reflected on your prior year’s 1098-T which would have indicated by a check mark in Box 7 that the form included tuition for a future term.
- 3. You are classified as an international student or a Non-Degree student and we do not have your social security number.
If we do not have a valid social security number for International or ND students, we do not prepare the form automatically. You may request a 1098-T by providing a copy of your social security or tax identification number. Your TIN must have been valid for the tax year for which you are requesting a Form 1098-T.
- 4. Your 1098-T form was mailed to an incorrect or invalid address.
The College may have prepared a form and mailed it to you but you did not receive it due to an incorrect address. If you are a currently enrolled student you may reprint a copy of your 1098-T by logging into BIONIC’s Student Center; access your 1098-T Finance Section’s Drop-Down Menu and clicking on View 1098-T Form.
If you are no longer enrolled, you will need to update your mailing address with the Registrar’s Office before we can reissue a 1098-T to your new address.
Q: How can I get a copy of a 1098-T form from a prior year?
A: Currently enrolled students may access their 1098-T forms from 2011 through the current year online using their BIONIC accounts. The student can reprint forms from 2011 through the current year for students who are no longer enrolled.
If you need a copy of your billing history prior to 2011 for IRS purposes, we can print you a copy of your statement for the calendar year in question.
Q: Will international students receive 1098-T forms?
A: International students who have provided either a valid social security number or an individual taxpayer identification number that was current for the tax year will be reviewed for 1098-T eligibility. All other eligibility criteria must be met in order to receive a 1098-T automatically. Otherwise, 1098-T forms will be provided for International Students upon request.
Q: Do you file a copy of my 1098-T form with the IRS?
A: Yes, in conformance with Section 6050S of the Internal Revenue Code, as enacted by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Bryn Mawr College files information returns to assist taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service in determining eligibility for the Hope and Lifetime Learning education tax credits. The annual deadline for colleges and universities to file the required tax information electronically is March 31, although Bryn Mawr College may transmit the data earlier as circumstances allow.