IRS Form 1098-T

2020 Calendar Year

The 1098-T form is an annual informational document that all educational institutions are required to prepare for eligible students. It contains information on qualified tuition and related expenses within the calendar year, January-December. Students are not required to use the 1098-T form but can use the information provided when completing their tax returns. While Northeastern cannot advise on how you should use the form, your tax professional can.

Important Update

Northeastern University has partnered with Heartland ECSI to provide students with 1098-T forms. 1098-T forms for the 2020 calendar year will be available electronically, through Heartland ECSI, by January 31, 2021. All eligible 2018 and 2019 1098-T forms are available through the Heartland ECSI portal as well.

For additional information, please refer to the Heartland ECSI FAQ.

When will I receive my 2020 1098-T form?

You will be notified by email on or before January 31, 2021 from [email protected] when your 2020 1098-T form is ready to be viewed via the Heartland ECSI website.

How do I access my 1098-T?

All 2018, 2019, and 2020 1098-T forms for Northeastern University are available through Heartland ECSI. Please visit the Heartland ECSI website for further instructions.

What information is on the 1098-T?

Box 1

Northeastern University reports on qualified payments, as required by the IRS. As such, only payments for qualified charges will be eligible to be reported.

Box 4

Reflects reductions in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses made during this calendar year that relate to amounts billed that were reported in a prior year. This could impact a tax credit for a prior year. Your tax preparer should be consulted.

Box 5

Reflects the total of scholarships and grants that were posted to the tuition account during calendar year 2020. This may also include additional scholarship and grant funds posted late for a prior year.

Box 6

Reflects reductions in scholarships and grants reported for a prior year. This could impact a tax credit for a prior year. Your tax preparer should be consulted.

Box 7

Is checked if there are charges for terms beginning January 2021–March 2021.

Box 8

Is checked if a student is at least half-time during any academic period that began in 2020.

Why did I not receive a 1098-T?

The IRS does not require us to generate a 1098-T for the following:

• International students (unless requested with SSN and/or TIN on file)
• Students enrolled in non-degree programs
• Students who did not have qualified tuition and related expenses
• Students whose qualified tuition and related expenses are entirely waived or paid entirely with scholarships

For additional information, please refer to the IRS 1098-T instructions, here.

What should I do if my 1098-T tax form does not match my personal information?

For all 1098-T personal information updates please visit the Heartland ECSI website to complete a W-9S form. You can do this online by accessing your tax form and then selecting the Complete W-9S form.

International Student Requests

By law, Northeastern University cannot produce a 1098-T form for a student without a valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN) on file. To update your SSN or TIN, please complete the Social Security Number Update form through the Office of the Registrar.

Once you have submitted this form and your SSN/TIN has been updated, please submit your 2020 1098-T request to [email protected] and provide the following:

• Name
• NU ID
• 1098-T Year Request

2017 Year Requests

For all 2017 1098-T forms, please reach out to Northeastern Student Financial Services directly at [email protected].

Additional Online Resources

IRS Publications

• Publication 970: Contains information on both Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit. Covers eligibility, qualifying expenses, how to figure and claim credit, and more.
• IRS Form 1098-T
• Form 8863: This is the form used to calculate the tax credit and must accompany the tax return.

Phone Numbers

• IRS, Asking Tax Questions: 1.800.829.1040, TTY/TDD 1.800.829.4059
• IRS, Ordering Forms and Publications: 1.800.829.3676, TTY/TDD 1.800.829.4059
• IRS, Taxpayer Advocate: 1.877.777.4778, TTY/TDD 1.800.829.4059
• Heartland ECSI, 866.428.1098 or live chat

Looking for the university W-9 form? Download the completed and signed W-9.