Internal Revenue Service (IRS) · United States (federal)
Form 1098-T: Tuition Statement
Current revision: 2026 (checked on irs.gov, Oct 28, 2026)
IRS Form 1098-T (2026) tuition statement: what schools report in boxes 1–10, and how students and parents use it on Form 8863 for education credits.
Filling needs no account. Downloading, printing or sending the completed form needs a free account — 3 downloads a month, no watermark.
Page reviewed
Form
1098-T
- Issued by
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Applies in
- United States (federal)
- Edition
- 2026
Official source
PDFBetter is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for Internal Revenue Service (IRS). We open the form from irs.gov, and you fill it in our editor. Check the issuer's instructions before you file.
What it is
What Form 1098-T is for
Form 1098-T is the tuition statement that colleges, universities and other eligible schools send to each enrolled student and file with the IRS. It shows payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses (box 1), scholarships and grants (box 5) and enrollment status. Students, or the parents who claim them, use it to complete Form 8863 for the American opportunity or lifetime learning credit. The PDF on irs.gov is the 2026 edition, and schools must furnish it by February 1, 2027.
Form 1098-T deadlines, 2027 filing season
Copy B to students (January 31 is a Sunday) Source: irs.gov
Paper Copy A with Form 1096 to the IRS Source: irs.gov
E-filed 1098-T to the IRS through IRIS Source: irs.gov
Students or parents claim education credits on Form 8863 with their 2026 return Source: irs.gov
Dates already move past weekends and DC holidays, as the IRS rule says. Checked against irs.gov on October 28, 2026. See the full 2027 tax calendar.
Fill it here
From irs.gov to your filled copy
- 1
Fetched from irs.gov
The agency's own, current PDF — not a retyped copy.
- 2
Opens in the editor
Fillable fields work as they are; on a flat page you type with text boxes.
- 3
Your filled copy
Download, print, sign or send it — the original stays untouched.
Who files it
- Eligible colleges, universities and vocational schools, for each enrolled student with a reportable transaction
- Third parties that collect tuition payments on a school's behalf
- Insurers that reimburse or refund qualified tuition and related expenses
- Students and parents who want to claim an education credit
What you need
- School's name, address, EIN and the phone number of its information contact
- Student's name, permanent address and TIN (often collected on Form W-9S)
- Payments received in 2026 for qualified tuition and related expenses, less 2026 refunds
- Scholarships and grants processed in 2026, and adjustments for prior years
- Enrollment status: at least half-time and graduate student
- As a student or parent: receipts for required course materials and records of who paid
Line by line
How to fill out Form 1098-T
- 1
Filer and student
Enter the school's name, address, information-contact phone number and EIN, then the student's name, permanent address and TIN. Check the TIN box if you asked for the TIN in writing.
- 2
Box 1 — Payments received
Enter total payments received in 2026 for qualified tuition and related expenses, less refunds made in 2026 that relate to those payments. Don't reduce it by scholarships.
- 3
Box 4 — Adjustments for a prior year
Enter reimbursements or refunds made in 2026 that relate to payments reported on a prior-year Form 1098-T.
- 4
Boxes 5–6 — Scholarships and grants
Box 5 is scholarships and grants the school administered and processed in 2026; a Pell Grant always counts. Box 6 is any reduction to grants reported for a prior year.
- 5
Boxes 7–9 — Checkboxes
Check box 7 if box 1 includes amounts for an academic period beginning January–March 2027, box 8 for an at-least-half-time student, and box 9 for a graduate student.
- 6
Box 10 — Insurer reimbursements
Insurers enter reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses they made. Boxes 2 and 3 are reserved; leave them blank.
- 7
If you received one
Use it with Form 8863 to figure an education credit. Scholarships in box 5 may reduce the credit, and Pub. 970 explains which expenses count.
Common Form 1098-T mistakes
- Reducing box 1 by scholarships or grants; the instructions say box 1 isn't reduced by the amount in box 5.
- Listing the school's general phone number; the IRS requires the number of the information contact.
- Using a temporary address when the student's permanent address is known.
- Printing Copy A from irs.gov for filing; that copy can't be scanned.
- As a student, figuring the credit from box 1 alone; scholarships and grants in box 5 may reduce it.
Where to send it
Schools furnish Copy B to the student by February 1, 2027 (January 31 is a Sunday), on paper or electronically if the student consented. File with the IRS by March 1, 2027 on paper or March 31, 2027 through IRIS (https://www.irs.gov/filing/e-file-information-returns-with-iris); 10 or more information returns in total must be e-filed, and paper filers need the official scannable Copy A from IRS.gov/EmployerForms. Students don't mail the 1098-T: keep it, because it supports an education credit claim on Form 8863, filed with the 2026 Form 1040 by April 15, 2027.
Filing rules change. Confirm the address or portal on irs.gov before you send.
Form 1098-T: questions people ask
Which year is this Form 1098-T for?
It's the 2026 edition, for payments received in calendar year 2026. Box 7 refers to academic periods beginning January–March 2027 because of that.
Who claims the credit, me or my parents?
The form says you, or the person who can claim you as a dependent, may be able to claim an education credit. Form 8863, its instructions and Pub. 970 explain who qualifies.
I didn't get a 1098-T. Why?
Schools don't have to issue one for courses with no academic credit, for nonresident alien students unless they ask, or when tuition is fully waived or paid by scholarships. If none of these apply, ask the school's information contact.
What does box 7 mean?
It's checked when box 1 includes payments for a term that starts in January–March 2027. Pub. 970 explains how to treat those amounts.
Can the school tell me how much credit I get?
No. The form asks you not to contact the school or its service provider about how to figure a credit. Use Pub. 970, Form 8863 and its instructions, or a tax professional.
Can I print Copy A from this PDF and mail it to the IRS?
No. The IRS says Copy A in this PDF is for information only: the official printed Copy A is scannable, but a copy printed from the website is not, and a penalty may be imposed for filing forms it can't scan. E-file through IRIS or order official forms at IRS.gov/EmployerForms; the black recipient copies printed from the PDF are fine.
Do I need an account to fill in Form 1098-T in PDFBetter?
No. You can fill in the recipient copies without an account; downloading the finished PDF needs a free account. PDFBetter doesn't e-file with the IRS, so file Copy A through IRIS or on the official red form.