1098-Ts

1098-T Forms

The University is required to furnish a 1098-T form to each student with qualifying payments and/or scholarships every calendar year. The University also sends the 1098-T information to the IRS. The form does not need to be attached to a tax return; students may keep the form for their records.

The 1098-T is made available to eligible students in the eBill system by January 31st each year. You can access your 1098T on the home page or via the Statements page. Students can also share access to their 1098T with their authorized users. Please make sure to add @ecsi.net to your list of trusted domains. If you did not consent to receive your form electronically, the forms are mailed to the permanent or current address on file.

We report payments towards qualified tuition and related expenses in Box 1 and scholarships/grants received in Box 5, based on the calendar year. If you need verification of the amount billed, you can review your Account Activity in the eBill system under the Student Accounts menu. Please consult with your tax professional for any questions related to the tax impact of your reported amounts.

Please note that Form 1098-T, Tuition Statements, should not be used to validate Form 1099-Q: Payments from Qualified Education Programs, which is used to report payments received from a 529 plan provider. Withdrawals from a 529 plan can be used to pay for expenses, such as room and board, however, per IRS rules payments received for these charges cannot be reported in Box 1 of a 1098-T. Statements of account are typically sufficient to show that 529 withdrawals were used for educational expenses.

Charges NOT Considered Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses and Therefore NOT INCLUDED:

Housing related charges
Dining, Meal Plans, Express Account Charges
Insurance (such as BCBS Student Blue Medical Insurance & Intern Practicum Charge (liability insurance)
Late Fees, Interest on Past Due
Account Library Fines, Fees
Orientation Fees
Parking Permit or fines
Health Services Access Fee
Other Health Service charges
Department fees for non-return or damage (i.e. Books not returned, Chemistry Breakage)
Wellness Service Fee

BOX 1 of IRS Form 1098-T reports the qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the calendar year. Sometimes this is referred to as qualified education expenses, although the two are not always interchangeable. Consult a tax professional for explanation. For purposes of IRS Form 1098-T, The George Washington University has determined based on interpretation of the limited IRS guidance provided that the following charges are included or not in qualified tuition and related expenses. Please note, IRS Publication 970 states that "the amount on form 1098-T might be different from the amount you actually paid and are deemed to have paid." Further IRS Form 8863 instructions state that "The amount of qualified Tuition and related expenses reported on Form 1098-T may not reflect the total amount of the qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the year for which you may claim the tax credit. You may include qualified tuition and related expenses that are not reported on IRS Form 1098-T when claiming one of the related credits if you can substantiate payment of these expenses."

BOX 4 of IRS Form 1098-T reports adjustments made to qualified tuition and related expenses calculated in a prior year. The amount reported in Box 4 represents a reduction in tuition billed during a prior calendar year. For example: if you were billed in Nov-Dec 2023 and later had a reduction in the QTRE charges in 2024 (ie withdrawal, courses dropped), Box 4 reports the decrease in billed tuition due to the withdrawal or drop. The amount reported in BOX 4 reports the decrease in QTRE from the withdrawal or drop of courses that reduced the QTRE. 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 your tax advisor and/or IRS Form 8863/IRS Publication 970 for more information.

Note: It is possible for the other boxes to be empty and only have a number in BOX 4. This means as stated above that there was a reduction in qualified tuition and related expenses calculated on the 2024 1098-T that was reduced after December 31, 2023 but had no other reportable activity for the 2023 calendar year. Please consult a tax advisor and/or IRS Form 8863 and IRS Publication 970 for assistance.

BOX 5 of IRS Form 1098-T reports the total of scholarships or grants administered or processed by the Office of Student Accounts and/or the Office of Student Financial Aid during the calendar year.

Please note that the timing of each charge and scholarship are important regarding which year they are reported in. Many students have charges from Nov-Dec of 2023. Because in 2023 many students had payments larger than their QTRE, the BOX 1 amount for the Spring 2024 term may have been included in the 2023 1098-T. Also, in many of those same circumstances, the student also received scholarships and grants for Spring 2023 that did not post until January 2024. This may cause the 2024 1098-T to have zero in BOX 1 but BOX would be populated. Please consult a tax prepared regarding what this means to your individual tax situation.

The amount reported in BOX 5 does not include:

Tuition waivers provided during the calendar year
Student Loans

Per IRS instruction, Veteran's Education Benefit amounts received are included in BOX 5.

Work Study
Employment
Scholarships, grants, reimbursements or other types of sponsorships not administered by the Office of Student Accounts and/or the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Per IRS instruction, Veteran's Education Benefit amounts received are included in BOX 5.

BOX 6 of IRS Form 1098-T reports adjustments made to scholarships or grants reported on a prior year Form 1098-T that was 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 the education credit you may claim for the prior year. See IRS Form 8863 for how to report these amounts.

BOX 7 indicates, if checked, that BOX 1 includes amounts for an academic period beginning in the next year (2024). For example, if you registered and paid for the upcoming Spring Semester during November or December, this box will be marked.
BOX 8 shows whether you are considered to be at least one-half of the normal full-time workload for at least one academic period during the calendar year.

BOX 9 shows whether you are considered to be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate level degree, certificate, or other recognized education credential.

Additionally, the links below may be helpful in understanding the instructions, purpose, and applicability of the 1098-T for your individual tax situation. All of the information that GW can provide to you is either on the 1098-T form or is included on this webpage. We are not allowed to discuss tax implications or give tax advice. Please consult your tax professional with all questions related to this document. Some helpful links to the IRS at the bottom of this page may provide you more information related to how form 1098-T may affect you. Please seek guidance from a tax professional.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/students

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/foreign-students-and-scholars

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-benefits-for-education-information-center

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-970