Frequently Asked Questions/Answers

1) Will I be receiving a Form 1098-T from FAU?

The instructions below will help you to determine whether you will be receiving a Form 1098-T from FAU.

From the FAU home page at http://www.fau.edu

1. Log onto Self-Service for Students by placing the cursor on the Current Students tab and clicking on MyFAU Login.

2. On the Secure Access Login section, type in your User Name and Password and click on the login box.

3. In the FAU Self -Service section, click on the FAU Self-Service (OWLS) link.

4. On the Main Menu page click on the Student Services tab.

5. On the Student Services page, click on the Student Account link.

6. On the Student Account page, click on Tax Notification link.

7. On the Select a Tax Year page, enter the 2008 in the Tax Year box and click on Submit.

8. Verify whether you will be receiving a 1098-T form from FAU by looking at the 1st paragraph on the Tax Information Page.

9. Review the Supplemental Information section of the page Tax Information page because it also contains information regarding whether a Form 1098-T was mailed to you.

10. If “Hard Copy Mailed: No” is noted in the Supplemental Information section, You are not eligible to receive a Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credit and you will not be receiving a 2008 Form 1098-T from FAU.

11. If “Hard Copy Mailed: Yes” is noted in the Supplemental Information section, you will be receiving a 2008 Form 1098-T from FAU.

2) I should have received a 2008 Form 1098-T but it did not come in the mail.  Why did I not receive it?

The 2008 1098-T form is mailed only to students are eligible to receive the Hope Lifetime Learning tax credit.  If you are eligible to receive a 1098-T form but did not, one reason  may be that the address that we have on file is incorrect. The order that mailing addresses are selected for mailing the form is as follows: (1) Mailing; (2) Resident Hall; (3) Local; (4) Permanent; (5) Billing; (6) Home; (7) Work; (8) Remit; (9) Next of Kin. Another reason why you did not received the 1098-T Form may be because FAU does not have your Social Security number. Temporary identification numbers assigned by the University are not valid Social Security numbers and will not allow a 1098-T Form to be created for the student. Another reason why you may not have received a 1098-T Form is because the Internal Revenue Service does not require the University to prepare and mail the form to nonresident aliens unless it is requested.

3) Why did FAU send me Form 1098-T?

Form 1098-T was sent to you to inform you of tax benefits that may be available to you. You may be eligible for two tax credits: the Hope credit or the Lifetime Learning credit. An eligible student, who is either you, your spouse, or a dependent for whom you can claim an exemption generally can claim the Hope credit when qualified tuition and related expenses are paid for the first 2 years of postsecondary education.  The Lifetime Learning Credit may be claimed for qualified tuition and related expenses of the student that were paid to an eligible educational institution.  A taxpayer cannot claim both a Lifetime Learning Credit and a Hope Credit for the same student in the same year. To insure greater accuracy on the part of taxpayers claiming these credits, higher education institutions are now required to a) file information reports with the IRS, and b) furnish a statement to taxpayers on all students who were billed for "qualified tuition and related expenses". Form 1098 -T is the medium by which such information is reported to both the IRS and taxpayers. If you were billed for such "qualified tuition and related expenses" by FAU during calendar year 2008, you were sent this form.

4) I don't understand the information that FAU sent me. Could you explain?

Form 1098-T reflects information that FAU must file with the IRS and the taxpayer for calendar year 2008. Specifically, Form 1098-T shows:

1. The name, address, phone number and taxpayer identification number of Florida   Atlantic University;

2. The name, address and taxpayer identification number of the student;

3. The total amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses;

4. Adjustments made for a prior year;

5. The total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by FAU;

6. Adjustments of scholarships or grants for a prior year

7. An indicator of whether the amounts billed includes amounts for academic period beginning January-March 2009;

8. An indicator of whether the student was enrolled at least halftime during any academic period beginning in 2008; and,

9. An indicator of whether the student was enrolled exclusively in a program leading to graduate degree, certificate, or other graduate credential.

5) Am I eligible for the Hope tax credit or the Lifetime Learning tax credit?

That depends entirely upon your personal tax situation. For example, your ability to claim the full tax credit may be limited because of your marital status and income. Further, your ability to claim the credit depends upon who claims the student as a dependent. The rules regarding eligibility for claiming these credits are complex. Eligibility will differ from taxpayer to taxpayer. Information needed to determine eligibility is dependent upon matters that Florida Atlantic University is not privy to. For this reason, FAU is not in a position to and cannot provide you with advice regarding your eligibility for tax credits or tax return reporting requirements. You should consult a competent tax professional or the IRS concerning current tax laws and regulations and their potential effect upon your tax return.

6) I know I made payments to FAU during calendar year 2008. Where is this information on the form that I was sent?

You will not find information concerning what you paid to the university for "qualified tuition and related expenses" on this form. Although the amounts billed for "qualified tuition and related expenses" is reported on the form, you will have to determine the amount that you paid to the university.

7) If you are not reporting what I paid to you, how can I calculate my credit?

A large amount of information reflected on your tax return comes from records that you alone have in your possession as opposed to data obtained from outside sources during this time of year, such as statements received from banks or mortgage companies. For example, if you itemize, deductions such as medical expenses and some charitable contributions and "miscellaneous" expenses are calculated using documents generated, retained and/or personally analyzed by the taxpayer. Although not a deduction, the dollar amount of your "qualified tuition and related expenses" is one of those items that the taxpayer is responsible for calculating. Carefully filtering through your canceled checks and receipts, as well as your financial aid award statements and related bank deposits, if applicable, is a good way to start gathering the amounts paid to Florida Atlantic University. But this is only one piece of information that you'll need to determine whether you are eligible for either of these credits. Because many of the data elements needed to calculate the tax credits are known only to the taxpayers who are potentially eligible to claim them, FAU is not in a position to answer your tax-related questions. We suggest you obtain a copy of IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, or consult your tax preparer, for professional advice. IRS Publication 970 can be found on the IRS Website at www.irs.gov.

8) I received financial aid through FAU during calendar year 2008. How do I handle this?

The total of all scholarship and/or grants administered and processed by FAU, as reported on the 1098-T Form, may offset educational expenses. Again, we suggest you obtain a copy of IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, or consult your tax professional.

9) I paid for and attended classes at FAU during calendar year 2008. However, I did not receive a Form 1098-T in the mail. Why did I not receive a 1098-T Form?

a) One factor that may make you ineligible to receive a 1098-T Form is not carrying at least one half of a full-time workload for your course of study. Another factor that may make you ineligible to receive a 1098-T Form is that the amounts of grants and/or scholarships received from FAU are greater than the amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses. Lastly, another factor that may make you ineligible to receive a 1098-T form is having an incomplete or incorrect mailing address in your student records.

10) I paid for and attended Continuing Education classes during 2008. However, I did not receive a Form 1098-T in the mail. I may want to take advantage of the Lifetime Learning credit. What should I do?

You may not have received a Form 1098-T in the mail because we did not have certain information that we need in order to send you the form. If you paid for one of these offerings and did not receive a 1098-T, please tell us via e-mail using the space below, providing us with your name, address, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. Or, call the FAU Controller's office at 561-297-3100. After confirming the information you provide, we will send you the form as soon as possible.

11) After reading the above, I find that I still have some unanswered questions. What should I do?

Please send us an e-mail, we will do our best to answer you promptly. But please remember that Florida Atlantic University cannot provide you with specific, detailed advice regarding the payments made to the University for "qualified tuition and related expenses", nor can we provide instructions in the preparation of your tax return or the calculation of the Hope tax credit or Lifetime Learning tax credit.

If you prefer to not e-mail us, you can call FAU's Controller's office at 561-297-3100.