Your school mails or emails the 1098-T to you, and the IRS gets a copy too

The 1098-T form comes from your school — not from the IRS, not from a tax software company, and not from your employer. Your college, university, or may be able to access educational institution is required by law to send you a copy by January 31 of the year after you paid the education expenses. Most schools now email it, though some still mail paper copies.

The school also sends a copy directly to the IRS at the same time. This means the IRS already knows about your education expenses before you file your tax return. That is why it matters that your copy matches what the school reported — if your numbers do not line up, the IRS will notice.

You need the 1098-T to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit on your federal tax return. Without it, you cannot report those education expenses to reduce your tax bill.

Key Takeaways

  • Your school sends the 1098-T by January 31 to the address or email on file in their student records system.
  • If you do not receive it by early February, contact your school's financial aid or registrar office — they can resend it or confirm whether one was issued.
  • The form shows only what your school charged for tuition, fees, and course materials; it does not include room, board, or books you bought outside the school bookstore.
  • If you paid education expenses but your school did not issue a 1098-T, you can still report those expenses on your tax return using your own records like receipts and billing statements.
  • The IRS receives a copy of every 1098-T issued, so mismatches between your copy and what you report will trigger a notice.

Check your school's student portal or email first

Most schools now post the 1098-T in your student account portal or email it to your school email address. Log into your student account on your school's website and look for a section labeled "Tax Documents," "1098-T," "Tax Reporting," or "Financial Documents." The form is usually a PDF you can read and print.

If your school emails it, check both your school email account and any personal email address you gave them during registration. Some schools send it to whichever address is listed as your primary contact. Check your spam or junk folder too — tax documents sometimes get filtered there.

If you graduated or are no longer enrolled, your school may have sent it to the address on file from your last term. If you have moved since then, the paper copy may not have reached you.

Contact your school's financial aid office if the form is missing

If you do not see the 1098-T in your portal or email by early February, call or email your school's financial aid office. Have your student ID number ready. Tell them you are looking for your 1098-T tax form and ask whether one was issued for the tax year you are asking about.

The financial aid office can tell you in minutes whether a form was generated. If it was, they can resend it by email or mail. If it was not, they can explain why — for example, if you did not pay any may have access to education expenses that year, or if your school does not issue 1098-T forms for some other reason.

Some schools have a separate tax reporting department or registrar office that handles 1098-T requests. The financial aid office can direct you there if needed. Do not wait until April to contact them — the sooner you reach out, the sooner you can get the form or understand what happened.

What to do if your school says no 1098-T was issued

Not every school issues a 1098-T for every student. A form is only issued if you paid may have access to education expenses — tuition, fees, and course materials required by your school. If you paid only for room and board, books bought outside the school, or other non-may have access to costs, your school may not have issued a form.

If your school confirms that no 1098-T was issued but you did pay may have access to education expenses, you can still report those expenses on your tax return. You will need to gather your own documentation: tuition bills, fee statements, receipts for required course materials, and proof of payment. Keep these records with your tax return.

You can also contact your school a second time and ask them to review whether a 1098-T should have been issued. Mistakes happen — a school may have failed to include your payment in their records, or may have issued the form to the wrong address.

Verify the information on your 1098-T matches your records

Once you have the form, compare the amounts shown to your own records. The 1098-T shows the may have access to education expenses your school reported to the IRS. Box 1 shows the total may have access to tuition and fees you paid. Box 2 shows scholarships or grants your school paid on your behalf.

If the amounts do not match what you paid, contact your school's financial aid office right away. Common errors include: the school counted a scholarship as a may have access to expense when it should not have, the school included non-may have access to expenses, or the school recorded the wrong payment date or amount.

Do not file your tax return until the 1098-T is correct. If you report different numbers than what the IRS has on file, you will receive a notice from the IRS asking you to explain the difference. It is much faster to fix it with your school first.

Using the 1098-T on your tax return

When you file your federal tax return, you will report the information from your 1098-T on Form 8863, Education Credits. This form calculates how much of your education expenses can reduce your tax bill through either the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit.

Your tax software will ask you questions about your education expenses and will pull information from the 1098-T to fill in the numbers. Make sure you have the form in front of you when you file. If you are using a tax preparer, give them a copy of the 1098-T along with your other documents.

Keep a copy of the 1098-T with your tax return records for at least three years. The IRS may ask to see it if they review your return.

What if you paid education expenses but received no 1098-T

Some students pay education expenses but do not receive a 1098-T because their school does not issue them, or because the expenses do not meet the IRS definition of "may have access to." For example, if you paid tuition at a school that does not participate in federal student aid programs, that school may not issue a 1098-T.

You can still report your education expenses on your tax return if you have documentation. Gather receipts, tuition bills, and proof of payment. Report the expenses on Form 8863 using your own records instead of a 1098-T. The IRS will not have a copy on file to compare against, but you must be able to prove the expenses if the IRS asks.

If you are unsure whether your school should have issued a 1098-T, contact the school first. If they confirm they do not issue the form, ask them to provide a written statement explaining why. This can help if the IRS questions your return later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file my tax return if I have not received my 1098-T yet?

You can file without it if you have your own records of what you paid — receipts, billing statements, or proof of payment. However, if your school issued a 1098-T to the IRS and you report different numbers, the IRS will send you a notice. It is safer to wait for the form or contact your school to confirm the amounts first.

My 1098-T shows a scholarship amount I did not receive. What do I do?

Contact your school's financial aid office when ready. The form may have included a scholarship or grant that was credited to your account but that you did not actually receive as cash. The school can issue a corrected form. Do not file your return until this is fixed.

I paid education expenses for my child, but the 1098-T is in their name. Can I claim the credit?

The person whose name is on the 1098-T is the one who must claim the credit on their tax return. If you paid the expenses but your child's name is on the form, your child claims the credit. You cannot transfer it to your return. Talk to a tax preparer about your specific situation, as some credits have income limits that may affect who should claim them.

What if my school sent the 1098-T to the wrong address and I never got it?

Contact your school and provide the correct address. Ask them to resend the form. If they cannot resend it, ask them to provide a written statement confirming the amounts they reported to the IRS. You can use this statement along with your own records to file your return.

Do I need the 1098-T if I am claiming the American Opportunity Credit?

You need the information from the 1098-T — the may have access to education expenses your school reported — to claim the credit. You do not need the physical form itself if you have your own documentation and know the correct amounts. However, having the actual form makes it easier to match what the IRS has on file.