1098-T Tax Information FAQs

1098-T forms are also available online through ECSI. To retrieve a copy of your 1098-T form, please go to the link below for instructions.  The current year as well as previous years can be accessed ECSI Instructions.

Financial aid, including scholarships and/or grants, is only reported when it is not expected to be paid back by the student. Similar to tuition and other applicable charges, financial aid is reported on a 1098-T form according to the calendar year that it was posted to your account, not necessarily for the financial aid year it was applied or refunded.

• Box 1 - Payments received, from all sources, up to qualified tuition and related expenses.

• Box 2 - Amount billed for qualified tuition and related expenses will no longer be displayed in this box; only calculated to assist with amount reported in Box 1.
• Box 3 - This box will be checked if the educational institution has changed its reporting method for the tax year. Please Note: Reporting method did change for 2018 tax year; Sinclair changed from reporting in Box 2 (amount billed for qualified tuition and related expenses) to reporting in Box 1 (payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses).
• Box 4 - Shows any adjustment made for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year 1098-T form.
• Box 5 - Shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by Sinclair during the calendar year. Payments received from third party sponsors (e.g. employers, government or agency entities) are also included in Box 5. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year (including those not reported by the institution) may reduce the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or the education credit you may claim for the year. If you had loans, such as Direct Federal Subsidized Loan, this is not included in this box; the loan servicer is responsible to send you a 1098-E tax statement.
• 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 you may claim for the prior year. See Pub. 970 for how to report these amounts.
• Box 7 - This box will be checked if the amount in box 1 included amounts for an academic period beginning January-March of the following calendar/tax year.
• Box 8 - Shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study. If you are at least a half-time student for at least one academic period that begins during the year, you meet one of the requirements for the Hope credit.
• Box 9 - Not applicable.
• Box 10 - Not applicable.

Please Note: For tax years prior to 2018, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service's tax regulation, the college is required to either report payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses in box 1 OR amount billed for qualified tuition and related expenses in box 2 of Form 1098-T. Previously, Sinclair elected for Box 2 only. For tax years beginning 2018 and future, Sinclair will report in Box 1, box 2 will no longer display amounts on the tax form.

Yes, you can access your 1098-T form electronically by going to ECSI Instructions.

• The address Sinclair has on record is not your current address.
  • If you were mailed a 1098-T form, then it is available online through ECSI. Please see instructions on how to access by going to ECSI Instructions.
  • Students should update their address with Sinclair Community College, which can be done through The Welcome Center or by completing the online change of information form and sending it electronically.
• You do not have a valid social security number or are a non-resident alien.
  • If you do not have a valid social security number, a 1098-T form may not have been issued. Please update your social security number (SSN) or tax  identification number (TIN) by completing a W-9S form which you can access from the IRS website - Form W-9S and bring this completed form and your Social Security card to The Welcome Center or by completing the online change SSN form and sending it electronically.
    If you prefer not to bring it to campus you may email the completed W-9S form to: registration@sinclair.edu. After your SSN or TIN has been updated, you may request a new 1098-T form from the Bursar Office.
  • If you are a non-resident alien who does not have a social security number, you can still request a 1098-T form from the Bursar Office or
  • print your term statements from the given calendar year as your backup record for qualifying tuition and fees and consult a tax advisor.
• Other reasons you may not have received a 1098-T form:
  • Your entire qualified tuition and related expenses were paid under a “formal billing arrangement” where Sinclair billed an employer or government/agency entity.
  • You are considered a nonresident alien.
  • You were only enrolled in noncredit courses.

The 1098-T form is used by eligible educational institutions to report information about their students to the IRS as required by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Eligible educational institutions are required to submit the student's name, address, and taxpayer’s identification number (TIN), enrollment and academic status. Beginning with 2003, educational institutions must also report amounts to the IRS pertaining to qualified tuition and related expenses, as well as scholarships and/or grants, taxable or not.

A 1098-T form must also be provided to each applicable student. This form is informational only. It serves to alert students that they may be eligible for federal income tax education credits. It should not be considered as tax opinion or advice. While it is a good starting point, the 1098-T, as designed and regulated by the IRS, does not contain all of the information needed to claim a tax credit. There is no IRS requirement that you must claim the tuition and fees deduction or an education credit. Claiming education tax benefits is a voluntary decision for those who may qualify.

The Tax ID Number for Sinclair is 31-0723444

Colleges and universities are required to issue the 1098-T form for the purpose of determining a student’s eligibility for the Hope and Lifetime Learning education tax credits. Receipt of the 1098-T form does not imply eligibility for the tax credit. Students and families should consult their tax advisor or IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, to determine their eligibility. The 1098-T form is informational only and should not be considered as a tax opinion or advice. If you have questions about how to calculate your education tax benefit, you should consult your tax professional or refer to the IRS.

Sinclair Community College has provided a 1098-T form in compliance with IRS guidelines; however, Sinclair is unable to answer tax related questions or provide any tax advice on this issue.  All information and assistance that Sinclair can provide is contained in this notice. The content of this notice is not intended as legal or tax advice.

For tax specific questions, please contact the Internal Revenue Service or your personal tax advisor for further assistance.

Please visit the below IRS web page for guidance:
FAQs: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and Emergency Financial Aid Grants under the CARES Act | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

In previous years, your 1098-T included a figure in Box 2 that represented the qualified tuition and related expenses we billed to your student account for the calendar (tax) year. Due to a change to institution reporting requirements under federal law, beginning with tax year 2018, Sinclair will report in Box 1 the amount of the qualified tuition and related expenses you paid during the year. We will no longer report in Box 2. The amount for Box 2 will only be calculated to assist with amount reported in Box 1 but will not be displayed.

The IRS 1098-T form will be mailed no later than January 31st to the student’s address on file with Sinclair Community College.

To give consent to receive your 1098-T form electronically, click on the link below and follow the simple instructions to sign up

1. Visit https://heartland.ecsi.net/index.main.html#/access/eConsent
2. Follow the step-by-step instructions on the web form.
3. Check the box and click submit.

Consent must be received by January 1 of given year for prior tax year (e.g. by January 1, 2019 for the 2018 tax year).

To update your SSN, please complete a W-9S form which you can access from the IRS website - Form W-9S and bring this completed form and your Social Security card to The Welcome Center or by clicking here.  After your SSN has been updated, you may request a new 1098-T form from the Bursar Office.

To correct or change your name, you need to contact The Welcome Center or by clicking here to complete the requirements for a name change.  Once your name has been changed in the college system, contact the Bursar Office to request a new corrected 1098-T form which will be made accessible through ECSI.

The IRS does not require that we report address changes for Form 1098-T purposes. However, even if you have consented for electronic delivery of Form 1098-T, it is still recommended you update your mailing address with the Welcome Center or by clicking here to ensure that future Form 1098-Ts reflect the latest address.