1098-T TAX FORM INFORMATION

What is 1098-T?

The IRS Form 1098-T Tuition Statement is used to assist the taxpayer in determining eligibility for certain education tax credits. These benefits may allow tax payers to reduce their federal incoming tax based upon qualified tuition and fees paid, assuming the taxpayer meets all TRA'97 requirements. 

Note: The information on this page is not tax advice, but is provided as a service to students and families to assist them in understanding the potential higher education tax credits. 

What is reported on 1098-T?

Your 1098-T will report Qualified Education Expenses (QEE) paid to the University (reported in Box 1). Generally, this amount includes amounts paid during the tax year for tuition and related expenses that are required for enrollment at the University of California.   

What is a Qualified Education Expense?

Tuition and most campus based fees are qualifying expenses. The IRS does not consider housing, transportation, the one-time document fee, and health insurance as educational expenses. 

To view the IRS definition of qualified education expenses, please read page 12-14 on the IRS Publication 970. 

Where can I get more information about 1098-T?

View a sample 1098-T form with box/section explanations. 

For further information on Qualified Education Expenses (QEE) and education tax credits, review IRS Publication 970.

When does 1098-T become available?

Forms are auto-generated for university students and will become available in late January for the previous tax year. Form(s) for the previous three tax years are available to the student at any time on www.tsc1098t.com.  

How can I receive my form electronically?

Students can consent to receive their 1098-T electronically when they login to www.tsc1098t.com. Upon providing your e-consent, you consent to receiving your 1098-T form exclusively online at www.tsc1098t.com. Once available, the form will be available for viewing and downloading at www.tsc1098t.com. You may withdraw consent at any time. 

Click here to learn how to log into www.tsc1098t.com

How can I receive a paper copy of the form?

If you consented to receiving your form online, you can obtain a paper copy of your form by downloading and printing the form at www.tsc1098t.com. 

If you did not consent to receiving your form online or withdrew consent on time, your 1098-T tax form will be delivered through the postal service to the current address you have on file, which you are responsible for keeping up to date. Student Financial Solutions is not responsible for an outdated address, or any difficulties encountered with the postal service. You can change your current mailing address by using the TritonLink address update tool. Please allow two weeks for form delivery from the time it becomes available. 

How do I withdraw consent for receiving my form electronically?

If you would like to withdraw consent for receiving your 1098-T tax form exclusively online, you may submit your request by contacting Student Financial Solutions via the UC San Diego Services & Support portal or by emailing sfs@ucsd.edu if you are not a current student. You will receive a confirmation of your request when it is completed. In order for you to receive a mailed 1098-T tax form, you must withdraw consent ten business days prior to the end of the tax year that the form references. For example, to receive a mailed 1098-T tax form for tax year 2022, you must withdraw consent by December 18th, 2022. 

You will receive an e-mail notification from UC San Diego when your 1098-T is available online. The e-mail will direct you to UC vendor, Tab Services www.tsc1098t.com, where you can view and download the form. 

How do I log into www.tsc1098t.com?

Upon signing into the site, you will be required to enter a Site ID, Username, and Password. 

1. For Site ID, enter 11563.
2. For Username, enter your nine-digit PID number.
   • Include the "A" (i.e., A12345678).
3. For Password:
   • First-time users: enter the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
     • If you are a student without an SSN/ITIN or have otherwise not provided your SSN/ITIN to UC San Diego, use the temporary password 0000. Submitting this temporary password in the login screen will initiate a password reset process through an email sent to the active email address on your student account.
       
       
   • Returning students: Please enter the password that you set during your last session.
     • If you forget your password, click on "Forgot Password" to reset. 

What features are available on the site?

You will have access to view/download/print your form(s) from the previous three tax years. You can also securely email your 1098-T, change your password, and browse FAQs. 

Having trouble logging in to www.tsc1098t.com?

Call the 1098-T Support Center at (888) 220-2540 for live assistance with logging in and general information about 1098-T.

To reach UC San Diego directly, call (858) 246-5900.

UCSD Extension Students

Extension students please visit, Extension Financial Resources, for login instructions or contact (858) 534-3400 with any questions about your 1098-T. 

Extension students please direct any email inquiries to unex-1098t@ucsd.edu.

What should I do if my existing SSN or TIN is not on file with UCSD?

If you do not have an existing SSN/TIN on file, you will still receive your 1098-T. In order to log-in to www.tsc1098t.com for the first time, your password is 0000. 

Will I still receive a form if I do not have a SSN or TIN?

If you do not have a SSN/TIN to file with the University, (example: international student who does not have a SSN or ITIN) you may take no further action without penalties. You can still access your 1098-T online at www.tcs1098t.com, or receive one in the mail if you did not consent to receiving 1098-T online, beginning late January for the previous tax year. The form will not have a SSN/TIN reported on it. 

What should I do if my legal name or SSN/TIN is incorrect on my form?

For name changes, complete a Name Change Request form located on MyTritonLink, along with supporting documentation. The request may be submitted in person, by fax or mail to:

UC San Diego - Office of the Registrar
9500 Gilman Dr. #0022
La Jolla, CA, 92093-0022
Fax: (858) 534-5723

For SSN changes, provide a legible photocopy of your Social Security card and UCSD student ID to the Office of the Registrar. The request may be submitted in person, by fax or mail to:

UC San Diego - Office of the Registrar
9500 Gilman  Dr. #0022
La Jolla, CA, 92093-0022
Fax: (858) 534-5723

Why did I not receive a form?

If your 1098-T tax form was not available after late January online at www.tsc1098t.com, if you did not consent to receive the form online or withdrew consent, or if your 1098-T form was not mailed to you after February, a 1098-T form may not have been generated for you. Potential reasons for this are:

• Student was not billed qualified education expenses, or did not receive applicable scholarships or grants (i.e., inter-campus visitor program or all courses were complimentary) for the tax year. 
  • Tuition and fees for Winter quarters are assessed and paid in the prior tax year (i.e., Winter 2022 tuition and fees were paid in 2021. So they would appear on the 1098-T form for the 2021 tax year).
• Student took courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program.

What should I do if there is an error with the reported amounts shown?

Your 1098-T form will report Qualified Education Expenses (QEE) amounts paid in Box 1 for the calendar/tax year. Amounts paid are reported on your 1098-T form based on the date the payment is posted to TritonLink, regardless of the date or term the charge was posted. (Please note that mail-in or wire-transfer payments may experience a delay from the time they are received by UCSD to the time they are posted on TritonLink). For example, a charge for Winter Quarter 2022 that is posted to your TritonLink in November 2021 would be included on your 2021 tax form if the payment is posted to your TritonLink by 12/31/2021. However, if the payment is posted on or after 01/01/2022, it would be included on your 2022 tax form, not the 2021 tax form. 

Please note that fees that were reported on a prior year's tax form (under Box 2 reporting QEE amounts billed during the tax year) may not be reported again on the 1098-T tax form for 2021. 

If you believe there is an error with the amount(s) reported on your form, please verify by reviewing your billing statements on TritonLink as well as your bank records. Please also review the IRS Publication 970 to ensure that they payment in question qualifies as a QEE expense. 

If you still believe there was an error, please provide a detailed description of the payment(s) you believe should be reported including a line item description and payment date, as well as your student ID number to sfs@ucsd.edu (non-current students) or by submitting a ticket to the UC San Diego Services & Support portal (current students) under the topic 1098-T Form. 

Please allow three business days for a response. 

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IRS Publication 970

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Federal Tax Benefits for Higher Education

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