Students must provide their Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) before the 1098-T process is completed to be considered for the tax form for the appropriate tax year.  The 1098-T process is ran in late January.

Students can access their 1098-T information via their MyFSU account by completing the following:

• Click on the "Academics & Services" tab
• Click on "Tax Notification" under the Student Records channel
• Enter in the tax year (2011) and click submit
• The tax notification will show, including charges assessed and scholarships and grants applied during the 2011 tax year. "Hard Copy Mailed", located in the center of the page, will indicate if the student was eligible for the tax form. For more information, please refer to the Tax Reporting Information webpage.
  
  

Tuition Payments Statement - 1098-T Form
The Tuition Payments Statement (1098-T form) is mailed to all FSU students except non-resident aliens at the end of January. The 1098-T information is also available via MyFSU for students.

Qualified and Non-Qualified Expenses
What is considered Qualified and Non-Qualified expenses?

• Qualified Expenses - Tuition only
• Non-Qualified Expenses - Room and board, insurances, transportation, books and equipment

Only the total amounts billed for qualified tuition qualify for the tax credits.

Preparing Your Tax Credit
To assist you in preparing your tax credit for the Hope Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit, box 2 and box 5 on the 1098-T has been completed. Be aware there are other boxes on the form that may contain information needed to calculate your tax credit.

• Box 2 - shows the Amounts billed for Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses
• Box 5 - shows the Amount of Scholarships or Grants for the tax year (e.g., tax-free scholarships, federal grants and employer-provided educational assistance).

In order to claim your tax credit, you must complete the IRS 8863 tax form, entitled Educational Credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits). If you were at least a half-time student at any time during the 2011 tax year, then Box 8 on the 1098-T form will be marked.

Hope Credit
For further explanation on the Hope Credit and access to Form 8863, CLICK HERE.

Lifetime Learning Credit
For details on the Lifetime Learning Credit and Form 8863 CLICK HERE.

The Education Credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits) - FORM 8863 and General Instructions may be downloaded using the Portable Document Format (PDF). Special software is required to view and print PDF documents.

If you do not have the special software required to view and print the PDF documents or unable to locate the tax form 8863, you may visit the Timme Center for assistance.

If you have any questions about completion of necessary forms or qualifications for either tax credit, you should contact your tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service.