1098-T Information/FAQ’s

1. When and where will the 1098-T be mailed?

1098-T forms were mailed to student’s mailing addresses during the last week of January for the previous year. Your mailing address can be verified in your Passport Student Center Account or at the Admissions & Records Office on campus. Please email 1098T@peralta.edu if you have not received your 1098-T form.

2. Can I receive my 1098-T electronically? 

Yes.  Peralta Community College District, in conjunction with ECSI, is offering you the opportunity to receive a copy of your 1098T Tuition Statement Tax Form.  

We have partnered with Heartland ECSI, offering you the opportunity to receive your 1098-T Tuition Statement electronically.

If you would like to print your 1098-T form electronically, please follow the link provided below and follow the step by step instructions.

1098-T Online Access for Peralta Community College District:

• Visit https://heartland.ecsi.net/
• Click “Access Your 1098 Tax Documents” at the bottom of the page.
• Click “Want to look up your 1098-T or 1098-E tax form?
• Go to “I need my 1098-T Tuition tax statement.”
• Search for “Peralta Community College District” and click “Submit”
• To print your Electronic Statements enter your
  1. Name (First & Last)
  2. Social Security Number
  3. Zip Code
• Check the “I’m not a robot” box and click Continue.
• Click “View Details” next to “Status: Delivered”
• Then click “View/Print Statement”

1098-T Electronic Consent for Peralta Community College District: 

The benefits to receiving electronic notification are:

• Online delivery provides access to the form 1098-T earlier than the traditional mailing process.
• Online delivery eliminates the chance that the 1098-T will get lost, misdirected or delayed during delivery, or misplaced once the student receives it.
• Signing up for online delivery is easy and secure.
• Students can receive their 1098-T form even while traveling or on assignment away from their home address.

If you would like to receive your 1098-T form electronically, please give your consent by following the link provided below and following the step by step instructions to sign up:

• Visit http://www.ecsi.net/gateway/1098t-signup.html?school=QW
• Sign up for Electronic Statements by entering your
  • School
  • Name (First & Last)
  • Social Security Number
  • Student ID
  • Email Address (with the option to include an alternate email address).
• Check the “I’m not a robot” box and click submit.

It’s that easy!
Heartland ECSI’s website is a secure website and will not share your private information with anyone. This notification is strictly sent to gather your consent for receiving an electronic 1098-T Form.
If you have any questions, please visit http://www.ecsi.net/taxinfo.html for information regarding your tax documents and to obtain contact information for Heartland ECSI.

Please note:  Unfortunately, in-person requests cannot be processed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Why did I receive a 1098-T tax form?

You received a form because your higher education expenses may be eligible for federal tax benefits.

Our records show that you were:

1. Enrolled in courses at one of the four Peralta Community Colleges
2. Made payments for the reporting tax year
3. Have a valid taxpayer identification number or social security number reflected in Peralta’s Passport Student Center

4. Why haven’t I received my 1098-T form?

In certain situations, a 1098-T may not have been generated for you:

• If you do not have a valid address reflected in your Passport Student Center Account.
• If you do not have a valid Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number on file with our district.
• If you had no payments posted in the tax year (previous year). When reviewing your records, please take into consideration actual payment dates and not semester start dates.

The method of reporting selected by the Peralta Community College District is to report only the amounts billed during the tax year.  When reviewing your records, please take into consideration actual billing dates in order to reconcile your records to the amounts on the form.

5. I’m an International student, can I get a 1098T?

If you are an International student and would like to obtain a 1098-T form, you must have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the IRS. You will need to fill out the Student Data Correction Sheet and submit them to the District Admissions and Records Office. A valid identification card or driver’s license is needed for identification purposes.

Please note: Beginning March 25, 2013, if you have recently updated your Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) with the Admissions & Records office, it may take up to 2 weeks to process your 1098-T requests due to restrictions with electronic transmissions to the IRS.   

6. My son/daughter attends one of the Peralta Community Colleges and I need his/her payment information. How can I get a copy?

1098-T forms are sent to the student’s permanent address as reflected in the Peralta Passport system. In order to protect student privacy rights guaranteed through the Federal Family Educational Right to Privacy Act we cannot provide parents student information without approved consent. Students may fill out an Authorization for Release of Information form and submit it in person to the District Admissions and Records office in order to allow parents the right to student information.

7.  Why doesn’t the amount billed on my 1098-T match my records to what I actually paid?

There are two methods for schools to report fees. One method is to report the payments made by students during the tax year, and the other method is to report amounts billed during the tax year. PCCD is required by the state of California to only report payments made.

8. What do I need to know if I feel the amounts on my 1098-T form are wrong?

• Check your 1098-T form, if Box 7 was checked on the form, then the tuition for the Spring term is on that form and is not included on the previous year’s 1098-T form.
• Check your form, if Box 7 is checked then it is including amounts for the academic period starting Jan – March (Spring of the current year)
• Check to see if there have been any changes to your class schedule. If you dropped any courses or had a record correction, those changes would be reflected in the tax year the changes were initiated in. 

Keep in mind, the 1098T reflects qualified tuition and related expenses only.

In order to determine qualifying tuition and expenses, only the amount students are required to pay in order to be enrolled at or attend one of the Peralta Community Colleges is considered.

Required fees are:

• Enrollment fee
• Out of State/International Tuition
• Capital Outlay Fee
• Health Fee
• Campus Center Use Fee
• AC Transit Easy Pass Fee

Amounts paid for any course or other education involving sports, games or hobbies are not eligible unless the course is part of the student’s degree program. Charges and fees associated with room, board, student activities, athletics, insurance, books, equipment, transportation and similar personal living or family expenses are not qualified expenses. Qualified expenses must be reduced by tax-free grants, scholarships, fellowships, tuition exemptions and employer-provided educational assistance.

Resources

The Peralta Community Colleges or the Peralta Community College District Office cannot provide assistance regarding your eligibility or the calculation of the credit. The following web sites have additional information that may be useful.

• IRS Publication 970 – Tax Benefits for Higher Education
• IRS Form 8863 -Claiming education tax credits 
• U.S. Department of Education