Tax Information

Student Financial Services provides 1098-T tax forms for the previous calendar year on, or before, January 31st. To access your 1098-T the fastest way possible, please opt for electronic delivery through the Student Account Center. Otherwise, 1098-T forms are mailed.

Students may allow their parent access to view the 1098-T online by indicating the access for the Authorized User through the Student Account Center. 

Students and/or bill payers may use the 1098-T information to help calculate their eligibility for tax credits and deductions for the IRS filing year reported on the form. Please refer to Federal Tax Benefits for Higher Education for additional information.

Seattle University is unable to provide you with individual tax advice, but should you have questions, you should seek the counsel of an informed tax preparer or adviser.

Reading the 1098-T

Box 1 - Payments received

• Total amount of payments received up to the amount of Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE) charged in the tax year, less any refunds or reimbursements received that year.  
  • Tuition and fees, such as lab, matriculation, study abroad, lesson, nurse-testing or doctoral fees are examples of QTRE.
  • By regulation, orientation, room, meals, insurance, transportation, expenses not directly billed (books, supplies, equipment), or other personal expenses cannot be included. Please refer to IRS Publication 970 and IRS Form 8863 to calculate eligibility and/or credit.
• Total payments and disbursements may be more than QTRE, but the reported amount is capped by the QTRE amount.

Box 2 - Not applicable

• No longer used as of 2018 tax year. 

Box 3 - Not applicable

• Not applicable to Seattle University.

Box 4 - Adjustments for a prior year

• Reflects adjustments made to the tax year prior to the one being reported on the form.

Box 5 - Scholarships and grants received

• Reflects scholarships and grants posted to the student's Seattle University student account in the year being reported as payment toward the cost of attendance. Included are institutional, federal, state and/or private scholarships and/or grants that were posted on the student account.

• If the student received and used a state and/or private scholarship and/or grant check for the payment of the cost of attendance without posting it directly to the student's account, this amount will need to be added the amount reported in Box 5.

Box 6 - Adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year

• Reflects the adjustments in the year being reported to grants or scholarships from the calendar year prior to the year being reported. 

Box 7 - Timing rule

• Checked if any of the payments reported in Box 1 include amounts for an academic period that begins in January through March of the year following the year being reported.

Box 8 - Enrollment status

• Is checked if the student was enrolled half-time or greater in the year being reported.

Box 9 - Program level

• Is checked if the student was a graduate student in the year being reported.

Box 10 - Not applicable

• Is not applicable and is not used by eligible higher education institutions.

Seattle University does not send 1098-E forms because the university does not assess interest on balances owed by currently enrolled students.

However, students who received past Perkins or Nursing Loans while attending Seattle University, and made qualifying payments, will receive 1098-E forms from the university's loan servicer, Heartland ECSI.

As required by the IRS, those forms will be mailed by January 31st for the previous calendar year.  Students who believe they should have received a 1098-E Form and, by mid-February, have not, should contact Heartland ECSI at 1-888-549-3274.  Student borrowers can view the amount of interest they have paid by going online to the Heartland loan servicing website. 

SU's Heartland school code is WA3.

Per IRS guidelines, Seattle University does not issue 1098-T statements to non-degree seeking students taking courses through Professional and Continuing Education.

To determine your ability to deduct course expenses as profession-related deductions please consult with a tax professional.

For further assistance, please contact the IRS.

What does the 1098-T provide?

The 1098-T will list the total amount of Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE) paid during the tax or calendar year (January 1- December 31), minus any refunds that you received back. This total value will be found calculated in “Box 1”. 

What are Qualified Tuition and Related Expenses (QTRE)?

QTRE includes tuition and fees required for enrollment. It does not include housing, meal plans, insurance, books or auxiliary fees.

What period does this tax credit cover?

The tax period is the calendar year January 1 - December 31.

Is Seattle University an eligible institution?

Yes. Seattle University is an eligible institution of Higher Education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the IRS.

What is the impact of Winter Quarter on my 1098-T?

Winter quarter is billed at the end of the calendar year, typically in November, and while the tuition due date is December 20th, payments are often made after January 1st (in the new tax year). When this happens, the amount paid will be counted in the next year's 1098-T. 

Where can I find my 1098-T?

You can find an electronic version and a downloadable version of the 1098-T form in your mySeattleU account  in the Tax Information tab or through the Student Account Center. By consenting to receive electronic forms you have 24/7 access to the 1098-T. Students who do not opt to receive the form electronically will have one mailed to the mailing address on file no later than January 31st.

Can Student Financial Services help me with my tax filing?

Please be aware that Student Financial Services Office staff members are not experts on tax return preparation and federal education tax benefits, so they cannot provide tax advice but can assist with general questions.