1. Billing, Payments, & Refunds
  2. 1098-T

1098-T

The 1098-T shows payments received for qualified tuition and fees during the calendar year as well as scholarships or grant aid applied to your account during the year. The 1098-T provides part of the information you may need to claim education tax benefits that may be available to you.  

What is the Form 1098-T?

The Form 1098-T contains data to help you calculate your eligibility for higher education-related tax deductions or credits on your personal income tax return. The IRS requires schools to report payments received for qualified tuition and fees during the calendar year in Box 1 on Form 1098-T, as well as scholarships and grants received on behalf of the student in Box 5. Receipt of a 1098-T does not automatically establish eligibility for educational tax deductions or credits, nor does it provide all information that might be needed to calculate any taxable portion of scholarships/grants received. There is no IRS or UNC Charlotte requirement that you claim an educational tax deduction or credit. UNC Charlotte cannot provide tax advice. You should refer to the IRS webpage or consult a tax advisor for further tax questions or advice.

Sample 1098-T Form:

Note on Payment Posted Date: Only payments posted in the tax year 2020 will be reported on your Form 1098-T. The posted date is based on when a payment was applied to the student account. Online payments through My UNC Charlotte, including payment plan payments, are posted in real-time. Payments that are mailed or wired (Flywire or TransferMate) may take an additional 5-7 business days to post. To assure these payments are applied in the current tax year, please allow for sufficient processing time. UNC Charlotte is unable to alter or back-date receipts.

Note on CARES Act Grant Funding and Student Emergency Fund Payments: These payments are not included in your 2020 Form 1098-T since they are not required to be reported on the Form 1098-T by the IRS.

Note on Laptop Awards: If you were awarded a laptop by UNC Charlotte in 2020, the value of the laptop will be reported in Box 5 along with any other grants or scholarships received for the year.

FAQs

You will receive IRS Form 1098-T electronically if you meet the IRS’ reporting requirements in January. In order to receive your 1098-T electronically, you must consent to electronic delivery before December 31. Please:​

  1. Log in to My UNC Charlotte
  2. Click View Account & Statements button in the My Student Account block
  3. Click Consents and Agreements under the My Account tab

  4. Read the consent form and click "Accept Consent" to agree to receive your statement online

    To view, print, and/or download your current year or prior year Form 1098-T, please:

  1. Log in to My UNC Charlotte
  2. Click View Account & Statements button in the My Student Account block
  3. Select Statements under the My Account tab
  4. Click the 1098-T Tax Statements tab

  5. Select the action button next to the year to view

Authorized Payers may also view your 1098-T statement electronically if you grant permission. To grant your authorized payer(s) access to view your 1098-T statement:

  1. Log in to the My UNC Charlotte
  2. Click View or Add Authorized Payer button in the My Student Account block
  3. Select Add Authorized User
  4. Enter email address of authorized user or select Edit in the column titled Action on the far right side
  5. Select Yes to “Would you like to allow this person to view your 1098-T Tax Statement?”
  6. Select Continue or Update User

  7. Follow instructions to complete process

Authorized Payers can log into the Authorized Payer Portal here.

Box 1 contains the sum of all payments, including loans, during the calendar year that paid for “qualified tuition and related expenses” for the year. For purposes of the Form 1098-T provided by UNC Charlotte, the following categories of charges are included or not included in “qualified tuition and related expenses”:

Payments for the following are 

Included in Box 1 

Payments for the following are

Not Included in Box 1
Resident and Non-resident Tuition Room and Board Charges
Graduate Program Tuition (Tuition Increments) Health Insurance Premium
Undergraduate College Fees Health Services Fee
Special Course Fees Transportation Misc. Service Charge
Ed & Tech Fee Course Related Books and Supplies
University Fees Payment Plan Enrollment Fee
Safety and Security Fee Late Charges and Other Penalties/ Fines
Food Services Misc. Charge Matriculation Fee
49er Card Service Charge Parking Permits

The following types of payments for “qualified tuition and related expenses” are included:

  • Direct payments by cash, check, credit card, or wire
  • Financial aid, including loans, credited to “qualified tuition and related expenses”
  • Payments from outside sponsors/grantors
Box 2 is blank because the IRS eliminated the option of reporting amounts billed. Starting with the 2018 tax year, schools have to report in Box 1 (payments received).
Box 4 is the sum of any adjustments made to “qualified tuition and related expenses” reported in a prior year. The amount usually represents a reduction in “qualified tuition and related expenses” paid during a prior calendar year. For example, if you paid Spring semester classes in December and withdrew from classes in January which resulted in a refund, Box 4 reports the decrease in paid tuition due to the withdrawal. The amount reported in Box 4 for adjustments to qualified tuition and related expenses may reduce any allowable education credit you may claim for the prior year. See IRS Form 8863 or IRS Publication 970 for more information. If this box is blank, then no adjustments were made for the year.

Box 5 is the sum of all grants and scholarships administered and processed by the UNC Charlotte Financial Aid Office during the calendar year.

The amount reported in Box 5 does not include:

  • Tuition waivers provided during the calendar year, e.g., faculty/staff waiver, military waiver, non-resident graduate assistant tuition differential waiver.
  • Student loans, including subsidized and unsubsidized direct loans, PLUS, Perkins, and alternative loans.
  • Work-study compensation.
  • Scholarships, grants, reimbursements or other types of sponsorships not administered or processed by UNC Charlotte Financial Aid Office.
The amount of any scholarships or grants reported for the calendar year and other similar amounts not reported (because they are not administered and processed by UNC Charlotte) may reduce the amount of any allowable educational deduction or credit that you are entitled to.
Box 6 is the sum of any reductions made to grants and scholarships reported in a prior year. If this box is blank, no adjustments were made for the year. The amount reported in Box 6 for adjustments to scholarships or grants may affect the amount of any allowable educational deduction or credit you may claim for the prior year. See IRS Form 8863 for how to report these amounts.
You are not required to attach IRS Form 1098-T to your tax return. The IRS Form 1098-T is not like the IRS Form W-2 obtained from your employer, which is required to be attached to the tax return filed with the IRS (if not filing electronically). The primary purpose of the IRS Form 1098-T is to let you know that UNC Charlotte has provided required information to the IRS to assist them in determining who may be eligible to claim educational deductions or credits.

If you do not have a qualifying transaction, then you will not receive a Form 1098-T. Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived will not receive a 1098-T.

If you are an international student who does not have an ITIN on file with UNC Charlotte, then you will not receive a Form 1098-T. If you are an active student, then you can find instructions on how to update your SSN/ITIN here. Alumni and students not currently enrolled may print, mail, or fax a W-9 form in order to provide SSN/ITIN. Please contact Niner Central for instructions about where to mail your form. Do not email your SSN/ITIN. Emailed forms will not be accepted.

  1. Log in to the Self Service/Legacy Portal
  2. Click the Banner Self Service icon under Quick Links
  3. Select Student Services/Student Accounts tab
  4. Click Student Accounts/Payments link
  5. Select Tax Notification (1098-T)
  6. Enter a Tax Year and click Submit 
If you have questions regarding your 1098-T tax form, please contact Niner Central. If you have general questions for our 1098-T Servicer, ECSI, please contact, at www.ecsi.net/bwr/contacts.html to chat with a live Customer Service Representative or you can call them at 866-428-1098 to speak with a representative.