Bursar's Office
1098-T Information

Online access through our 3rd party vendor Vangent, Inc - is now available for your 2011 1098-T Forms! 
Click here for the announcement and steps to retrieve your 2011 1098T online with Vangent, Inc.

Please NOTE:
Kutztown University has changed their Reporting Method for the Tax Year 2011. 

What is the 1098-T Form?

The 1098-T Form is informational only and should not be considered as tax advice. It serves to alert students that they may be eligible for federal income tax education credits such as the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Credit (previously the Hope Scholarship Credit) as part of their Federal Income Tax Return. IRS Publication 970, "Tax Benefits for Higher Education," as well as Chapter 35 of IRS Publication 17, provide additional information on these credits. While it is a good starting point, the 1098-T, as designed and regulated by the IRS, does not contain all of the information needed to claim a tax credit. To determine the exact amount of qualified tuition and expenses, a taxpayer should use their own financial records. There is no IRS requirement that you must claim the tuition and fees deduction or an education credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify.

The 1098-T contains a combination of student personal data, such as name, address, Social Security Number (SSN), and institutionally provided enrollment data, such as status as a graduate or undergraduate student, along with whether the student was enrolled at least half-time during the calendar year.  The IRS will use this data to help determine who is eligible for the educational tax credits.  This Form is not sent in with your taxes.

1098-T's are not produced for everyone, review the appropriate page above to see if you qualify.  The primary reason one would not receive a 1098T would be because the Scholarships/Grants (Box 5) exceed the Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (Box 2).


Reporting Change - How does that affect my usage of the 1098-T Form?
 The main difference is that we are completing Box 2 (amounts billed for eligible tuition and expenses) on the 2011 1098-T's now instead of Box 1 (amounts paid for eligible tuition and expenses).  As in the past, you will still need to use your own records, to support any figure you use on your tax returns.  1098-T's are to be used for guidance and not just copied,  per Publication 970.  You should only use figures you have support for.


Online access through our 3rd party vendor Vangent, Inc - is now available for your 2011 1098-T Forms! 
Click here for the announcement and steps to retrieve your 2011 1098T online with Vangent, Inc.

We CANNOT give any tax advice, instruction, or suggestions of any kind.  Please refer your inquiries to your financial or tax advisor, or the IRS website for further clarifications.