If you are taking classes for college credit, you may be able to reduce your federal income tax, thanks to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA).
American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit
The TRA created two education tax incentives:
- American Opportunity Credit — This credit is for students who are enrolled at least half-time in one of the first two years of postsecondary education. You must be pursuing an undergraduate degree, certificate or other recognized credential.
- Lifetime Learning Credit — This credit is available to some students who may not qualify for the American Opportunity Credit.
For more information about these tax incentives:
- Call the Internal Revenue Service at 800-TAX-1040 (800-829-1040).
- Visit the
IRS website.
Getting Your 1098-T Form
Dallas College annually provides the 1098-T form to students who enrolled in credit classes during the tax year as prescribed by IRS regulations. The 1098-T shows the amount of tuition paid for credit classes by you or by financial aid you received during the tax year, as well as the amount of financial aid you received during the tax year. Your 1098-T forms for the prior calendar year will be mailed or available online by Feb. 1.
Note: If the total amount of the financial aid, grants, sponsorships, waivers and/or exemptions you received during the year for credit enrollment exceeded your credit tuition cost (amount paid out of pocket), you will not be issued a Form 1098-T.
Not sure if you qualify for a 1098-T form? Visit eConnect to find out. Just go to
eConnect, click on the Current Credit Student menu, and click on the 1098-T Preview link under My Personal Information.
Visit the
IRS website for more information about when a Form 1098-T is not required to be issued.
The Fastest and Easiest Way To Get Your Form
If you're eligible to receive a 1098-T form, the easiest method to use is filling in Heartland ECSI's
EConsent form.
If you use this method:
- You will get an email as soon as your form is ready with instructions on how to access your 1098-T form online. You won't have to keep checking the website to see if forms have been posted.
- You won't get a paper form in the mail. That helps the environment and saves your school money.
Other Ways To Get Your Form
There are three other ways you can get your 1098-T form:
1. By mail
Eligible students who do not sign up to receive an electronic version should receive a copy of their 1098-T form in the mail.
2. Online
All eligible students can access their 1098-T online through our service provider, Heartland ECSI. To access your form online:
- Go to the
Heartland ECSI website.
- Click on Find Your Tax Documents.
- Click on "I need my 1098-T Tuition Tax Statement."
- Under School Search, start typing "Dallas," and either "Dallas College" or "Dallas County Community College District" should appear in the drop-down list. Select it and press Submit. When 1098-T forms are available on the site, you will need to enter your first and last name, Social Security number and ZIP code to access your form.
Note: If you are on the ECSI website and need help, click on Contact Us and you can chat live with a customer service advocate. You can also contact ECSI customer service toll free at 866-428-1098.
3. By request
If you can’t get your 1098-T form online through Heartland ECSI, you may contact us to ask for one. (In your request, you must provide your name as it appears in our records, your student ID number and a phone number where you can be reached.)
Important: The deadline to request a 1098-T or to request changes is March 8.
See
1098-T Forms: Frequently Asked Questions for answers to some of the common questions students have.