Bursar

Tax Credit Information

1098-T: American Opportunity and Life Long Learning

West Chester University has contracted with Heartland ECSI to provide tax documents (1098-T forms) to our students.

West Chester University mails a 1098-T for each student on whose behalf payments for qualified tuition and related expenses have been received in an applicable tax year.  Forms are mailed to the student’s home address on record by the end of January.

Payments made in 2019 for qualified charges (tuition and fees) for the Spring 2020 semester will be captured on the 1098T form in the tax year 2019. Students can view and obtain copies of their 1098-T by creating a pin and logging into their account www.ECSI.net.

When you receive your tax document in 2020 for the 2019 tax year, you will see an amount in Box 1 (payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses.)  Congress and the IRS eliminated the option for colleges and universities to report the "amount billed" on the form 1098-T.  Colleges and universities must now report the "amount paid" for qualified tuition and expenses.  This change went into effect for the 2018 tax year.

A Sample of the 1098-T form is provided below. 

Please update your personal information in myWCU to ensure the accuracy of your 1098-T form.  (Name, home address and social security number/TIN or ITIN)

West Chester University is unable to provide you with individual tax advice or assist in calculating your tax credit.  You may find detailed information about claiming education tax credits in the IRS Publication 970, page 9.  If you have further tax related questions, please contact your tax professional. 

For more information regarding the Federal Hope and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits, please click the links below.