Instructions for Student

You, or the person who can claim you as a dependent, may be able to claim an education credit on Form 1040 or Form 1040A. This statement may help you claim an education credit. To see if you qualify for a credit, and for help in calculating the amount of your credit, see Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Education; Form 8863, Education Credits; and the Form 1040 or 1040A instructions.

In previous years, the 1098T included a figure in Box 2 that represented the qualified tuition and related expenses billed to your student account for the calendar (tax) year.  Due to a change in institutional reporting requirements under federal law, beginning with the tax year 2018, amounts of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the calendar year 2018 will be reported.

Tax Document Retrieval

Both the 1098-T and E forms are stored electronically with our service provider, Heartland Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI). 

Click here to search for you tax form:

https://heartland.ecsi.net/index.main.html#/access/FAQtaxDocuments.

Select: Click Here To Search For Your Tax Form. You will then select Robert Morris University-Pennsylvania (ACF6). To access your 1098-T form online, you will need:

·         First and Last name

·         Social Security Number

·         Zip code

Please contact ECSI at 1-866-428-1098 with any questions concerning website access.

An itemization of your financial transactions can be viewed by visiting your eServices page on the RMU website and selecting Statement under the Financial section.

Tax form Details

Student's taxpayer identification number (TIN).  For your protection, this form may show only the last four digits of your TIN (SSN, ITIN, ATIN, or EIN). However, the issuer has reported your complete TIN to the IRS

Account number. May show an account or other unique number the filer assigned to distinguish your account.

Box 1. Shows the total payments received in 2018 from any source for qualified tuition and related expenses less any reimbursements or refunds made during 2018 that relate to those payments received during 2018.

Note: The amount in Box 1 may not equal or sum to the charges paid for the calendar year 2018 because not all charges are considered qualified tuition and related expenses.  Non-qualified expense are defined as books, room and board, parking, insurance and other similar personal living expenses.

Box 2. Reserved.

Box 3. Shows the method of reporting for 2018. RMU has changed its method of reporting.  The method (payments received or amounts billed) used for 2018 is different than the reporting method used for 2017. You should be aware of this change in figuring your education credits.

Box 4. Shows any adjustment made for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year Form 1098-T. 

Box 5. Shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by the eligible educational institution. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year (including those not reported by the institution) may reduce the amount of the education credit you claim for the year.

Box 6. Shows adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year. This amount may affect the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or education credit that you claimed for the prior year. You may have to file an amended income tax return (Form 1040X) for the prior year.

Box 7. Shows whether the amount in box 1 or 2 includes amounts for an academic period beginning January-March 2019. See Pub. 970 for how to report these amounts.

Box 8. Shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at the reporting institution.

Box 9. Shows whether you are considered to be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree, graduate-level certificate, or other recognized graduate-level educational credential.

Box 10. Shows the total amount of reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses made by an insurer. The amount of reimbursements or refunds for the calendar year may reduce the amount of any education credit you can claim for the year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund).

For the latest information about developments related to Form 1098-T and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they were published, go to www.irs.gov/form1098t.

The above information is based on the University’s interpretation of the IRS guidelines and should not be considered tax advice.  The University cannot provide tax advice concerning income.  Questions concerning income tax matters should be directed to a tax professional or the IRS.  

Any questions or clarifications related to the 2018 1098T must be addressed in writing.  Please email stacct@rmu.edu with the student's name, RMU # and the question.