Skip to main content
April 3, 2024
Question

Why is my 1098-T scholarship money being counted towards my income? It is supposed to be tax free tuition assistance.

  • April 3, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views
I am a scholarship student. I get tuition assistance via pell grants and the school I go to. That money is a qualified education expense. Why is it being counted as income I need to be taxed on?

1 reply

Hal_Al
Employee
April 3, 2024

Scholarships that paid for non qualified expenses are taxable. Tuition, fees, books and computers are qualified expenses.  If box 5 of your 1098-T is more than box 1, TurboTax will automatically treat the difference as taxable scholarship income unless you tell it differently.  Room and board are not qualified expenses for either a tuition credit or tax free scholarship.