You may be eligible for an educational tax credit on your tax return.  In order to claim your tax credit, you will need your 1098-T Tuition Statement Tax Form.

 What is the Form 1098-T?

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 permits taxpayers who pay qualified tuition and related expenses to an eligible educational institution to claim an American Opportunity Credit or a Lifetime Learning Credit against their federal income tax liability. Form 1098-T is a tax document that is used to report qualified tuition and related expenses in a given tax year and can assist you in determining your tax credit eligibility on your federal income tax return. The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) provides more information about form 1098-T here.

 

How can I receive my Form 1098-T?

RCBC students can receive form 1098-T by electronic delivery or by mail. We encourage students to opt in to receive 1098-T electronically. This is a safer, faster, and more convenient way to access your 1098-T form. Students who do not opt-in and consent to electronic delivery of the form will receive a paper version of the form by mail to the address that the college has on file. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the college has the correct and most updated address.

 

When do I receive my Form 1098-T?

The 1098-T form is available on January 31 for RCBC students who have opted in to receive the form electronically. Paper forms are mailed out by our partner, ECSI, on January 31.

 

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for the 1098-T form you must have:

  • A valid Social Security number.
  • Qualified tuition and fee expenses during the applicable tax year. Be aware that academic years span 2 tax years and 1098-T eligibility will often depend on when charges and payments occur on a student account.
  • Charges billed for credit courses only.
Access your 1098T

You must create a profile to view/print a prior year 1098-T tax form by following the below steps:

  1. Go to ECSI website at https://heartland.ecsi.net.
  2. Click the “Sign In or Register” button located at the top right of the screen. You may sign in if you have already created a profile. If not, you may register here to create a profile.
  3. Create a unique Username and Password and click “Continue.”
  4. Enter requested personal information and click “Continue.”
  5. Enter the required address info and click “Continue.”
  6. Setup and answer three security questions and click “Sign in & Accept.”
  7. When creating a profile for the first time you must click on “Connect an Account.”
  8. Enter the Heartland Key, if you do not have one, you may contact ESCI to obtain one by calling 1-866-428-1098 or use the “Live Chat” option (Live Chat option is recommended due to a quicker response).
  9. Click on “Connected Accounts.”
  10. Click on “History” and select the option of “Achieved All.”
  11. Select the year of the 1098-T you are looking for.