I didn’t get a 1098-T since my school wasn’t required to give it. Do I need it for taxes? As a college student, do I have to report my college expenses?

Q. I didn’t get a 1098-T since my school wasn’t required to give it. Do I need it for taxes?

A. No.

Q. As a college student, do I have to report my college expenses?

A. No 

That said, you or, more likely, your parents, are probably entitled to a generous education credit. 

Many schools no longer mail out the 1098-T.  You obtain it from your school account, on line.

 To be eligible for the tuition credits, the course must be taken at "an eligible institution". The school should be able to tell you if it is an eligible educational institution. In general, an eligible educational institution is an accredited college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary educational institution, including accredited, public, nonprofit, and proprietary (privately-owned, profit-making) postsecondary institutions. Additionally, in order to be an eligible educational institution, the school must be eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the Department of Education. If they issue a 1098-T they are probably an eligible institution.

Enter your school at the link below, to see if it's on the dept. of education list.

   https://www.savingforcollege.com/eligible-institutions   

Enter at Educational Expenses and Scholarships, under Deductions and credits. .

After answering no to having a 1098-T, answer yes to qualifying for an exception (that gets you to the entry screens).