1098-T Information

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.

Smith College employees are not permitted to provide personal tax advice. Please consult a tax preparer or adviser if you have any further questions.

What is the IRS form 1098-T?
Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, is an IRS tax form filed by eligible education institutions to report payments received from students.

For purposes of 1098-T reporting, an Eligible Student is a student who attended the college in tax (calendar) year 2024, paid Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE) received by the college in tax year 2024, and is a U.S. resident.

What are qualified tuition and related expenses?
Qualified tuition and related expenses (QTRE) include tuition, fees, and course materials required for a student to be enrolled at or attend Smith College. Eligible and non-eligible expenses are listed below.

The following items charged by Smith are considered QTRE:

• Tuition charges and activity fees

The following items billed by Smith are not considered QTRE:

• Charges and fees for food & housing, insurance, or medical expenses
• Other fees, including library fines, parking permits and fines, athletics fees, late fees, and fees related to non-credit courses

Who is issued form 1098-T?
The college must issue Form 1098-T directly to any eligible student even if QTRE is paid by someone else, including parents. The College is unable to provide this document to anyone except the student. Parents must request this form from their student, who can electronically download and send the form as needed.

Am I eligible for a 1098-T?
Smith College issues Form 1098-T only to degree-seeking students whose scholarships and grants do not exceed qualified tuition and related expenses for the calendar year.

Consistent with IRS regulations, Smith is not required to issue Form 1098-T to:

• Students whose qualified educational expenses (QTRE) were entirely waived or paid with scholarships
• Students whose qualified education expenses were entirely paid by a third party, including a student’s employer or government entity
• Students enrolled in courses that do not lead to a post-secondary degree (e.g. visiting students and exchange students)
• Students who are non-resident aliens, i.e., not tax residents of the United States, unless the student is required to file U.S. taxes and has requested a 1098-T from SFS

When and how will I receive my form 1098-T?
Form 1098-T will be available in Workday for eligible students by the end of January. Students may view and/or print your statement from this menu option. Students who did not opt into the Paperless 1098-T option earlier in the year will receive a paper copy of the 1098-T to their home address on file in Workday.

To download a digital copy of your 1098-T or to print a hardcopy, students can use the Workday help article: Print My 1098-T.

Why don’t the numbers on the 1098-T Form match my payments to Smith College?
The amount in Box 1 only represents the amount paid for qualifying education expenses during the calendar year, which includes tuition and fees. Housing payments, health insurance, fines and other fees not related to course enrollment are not qualifying education expenses, per IRS regulations.

The amount in Box 1 reports amounts that the student paid in a certain calendar year. The pay date does not necessarily correspond to the dates that the classes were attended. The best and most accurate source of information about the amounts that you paid for qualified tuition and related expenses will be your billing statement and CASHNet Activity Details.

As a graduating senior, will I receive a 1098-T?
Students graduating in spring will not receive a 1098-T in the following year if their spring payments were completed after December 31 of the year prior. The spring charges will be applied in December of the prior year, so all payments must be received by December 31 in order for the payment to be captured in the final 1098-T. Box 7 may be checked to indicate whether a 1098-T includes charges for a term from January–March of the subsequent calendar year.

The amount in Form 1098-T Box 1 corresponds to the calendar year in which charges were applied.

Spring semester charges are generally applied in December of the prior year. If payment is made after January 1, the payment will be captured in that calendar year’s 1098-T. Graduating seniors do not receive a 1098-T unless their spring semester payments are received before December 31 of the year prior and other eligibility criteria are met.