The 1098-T arrives between January and March, but the exact date depends on your school

Your school must send you the 1098-T form by January 31 of the year after you paid tuition. That important date is federal law. In practice, most schools mail or email the form in late January or early February, though some send it as early as mid-January and others wait until late March.

The form reports may have access to education expenses you paid in the previous calendar year — tuition, fees, and course materials. Your school has the information because you either paid them directly or they received payment from a loan or grant in your name. They are not waiting for you to submit anything; they generate the 1098-T from their own records and send it out on their own schedule.

If you paid tuition at multiple schools in the same year, you will receive a separate 1098-T from each one. You will need all of them when you file your tax return, because the education credit calculation uses the total may have access to expenses across all schools.

Key Takeaways

  • Schools must send the 1098-T by January 31, but many send it in late January or February.
  • The form reports only what the school knows you paid — tuition, fees, and course materials — not loans or grants you received.
  • If you paid tuition at more than one school, you will receive a separate form from each school.
  • You do not need to request the form; the school generates and mails it automatically if you paid may have access to expenses.
  • If you have not received it by mid-February, contact your school's financial aid or registrar office to confirm they have your correct mailing address.

What the 1098-T actually reports

The 1098-T shows four types of expenses in different boxes. Box 1 lists may have access to tuition and fees you paid. Box 2 lists scholarships or grants the school received on your behalf and applied to your account. Box 5 lists books, supplies, and equipment you bought (only if your school reported them; most do not). Box 7 lists adjustments — usually refunds or credits the school issued after the original form was sent.

The form does not report student loan amounts, living expenses, transportation, or health insurance, even if you paid those costs. It also does not report expenses paid with money from a 529 plan or Coverdell account unless the school knows the source — most schools do not track that, so they report the expense as if you paid it yourself.

The school fills out the form based on what they recorded in their system during the calendar year. If you paid in December for a course that starts in January, the expense appears on the form for the year you paid, not the year you took the course. This timing matters when you file your return, because the education credit must match the year the expense is reported on the 1098-T.

Why your 1098-T might show a different amount than you paid

The most common reason is that the form reports only the portion of tuition you paid out of pocket. If a scholarship, grant, or loan covered part of your bill, the school subtracts that from the total before reporting it in Box 1. The scholarship or grant amount appears separately in Box 2, so you can see the full picture.

Another reason is refunds. If you paid tuition in one year but received a refund in the next year, the refund appears as a negative number (or adjustment) on the form for the year you received it, not the year you paid. This can make the reported amount lower than what you actually spent out of pocket.

A third reason is that some schools report expenses net of financial aid. If your school applied a grant to your tuition bill before you ever saw an invoice, they may report only the amount you paid yourself, not the full tuition. Check your school's billing statement or financial aid letter to see what they actually charged you versus what they reported on the 1098-T.

What to do if you have not received the form by mid-February

Contact your school's financial aid office or registrar office directly. Have your student ID number ready. Ask them to confirm they have your current mailing address and email address on file. If the address is wrong, ask them to send a corrected form or to email it to you.

Some schools offer the option to view the 1098-T through your student portal instead of waiting for a mailed copy. If your school has this option, they usually mention it in an email in late January. Log into your student account and look for a section labeled "1098-T", "Tax Forms", or "Financial Aid Documents".

If your school says they did not send you a form because you did not pay may have access to expenses, ask them to explain which expenses they did not count and why. Some schools incorrectly exclude certain fees or materials. If you believe the school made an error, ask them to issue a corrected form. Schools can send corrected 1098-Ts at any time during the tax year.

How to use the 1098-T when you file your return

You will need the 1098-T information when you fill out either the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit on your tax return. These are two different credits; you can claim only one per student per year. The 1098-T gives you the may have access to expenses figure you need to calculate which credit is worth more to you.

If you use tax software, you will enter the amounts from the 1098-T boxes into the education credit section. The software will calculate which credit saves you more money and explore that one. If you file by hand or with a tax preparer, bring all your 1098-T forms and your receipts for any may have access to expenses the school did not report.

Keep the 1098-T with your tax records for at least three years. The IRS can ask you to prove the expenses if they audit your return, and the form is your primary documentation that the school reported them.

If you paid tuition but your school did not send a 1098-T

Schools are required to send a 1098-T only if you paid at least $1 of may have access to tuition or fees during the year. If you paid less than that — for example, if a full scholarship covered everything — the school may not send one. You can still claim the education credit if you have receipts showing you paid may have access to expenses, but you will need to report the amounts yourself on your return.

If you paid more than $1 in may have access to expenses and your school did not send a form, follow up with them. It is possible they did not have your address, did not recognize you as a student in their system, or made a processing error. Ask them to issue a form. If they refuse and you believe they should have sent one, you can file your return without it and include a note explaining that the school did not provide the form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the 1098-T to claim the education credit?

No. The 1098-T is documentation of what the school reported, but you can claim the credit based on your own records if the school did not send a form or if the form is incomplete. You will need receipts or statements showing the may have access to expenses you paid. The 1098-T makes it easier because the school has already done the reporting, but it is not required.

What if the 1098-T shows expenses I did not actually pay?

Contact your school and ask them to issue a corrected form. Explain which expenses are wrong and provide documentation — your billing statement, receipt, or financial aid letter. Schools can send corrected forms at any time. Do not file your return using incorrect numbers; use the corrected form or your own records instead.

Can I claim the education credit if I did not receive a 1098-T?

Yes. You can claim the credit based on may have access to expenses you paid, even if the school did not send a form. You will need to report the amounts yourself on your return and keep receipts or billing statements as proof. The credit calculation is the same whether you use the 1098-T or your own documentation.

Does the 1098-T include student loan interest?

No. The 1098-T reports only tuition, fees, and course materials. Student loan interest is reported on a separate form called the 1098-E and is claimed as a deduction, not a credit. You will receive the 1098-E from your loan servicer, not your school.

What if I received a refund after the 1098-T was sent?

If you received a refund in the same calendar year as the original expense, the school may issue a corrected 1098-T showing the net amount. If the refund came in a different year, it will appear on the 1098-T for the year you received it. Either way, you report the expenses and refunds in the year they are shown on the form, not the year you originally paid.