Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 enacted several educational tax incentives, including the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits.  Depending on your particular situation, these credits may or may not be available to you as you file your tax return.  Eligibility for these credits depends on a number of factors, including taxable income levels.

The IRS Form 1098-T (Tuition Statement) will be mailed to students in January.  This form will:

• Summarize the total amount of tuition and eligible expenses billed.
• Summarize the total amount of scholarships and grants received.
• Indicate if the student attended at least half-time during the calendar year.
• Indicate if the student was a graduate student.

You may verify the detail of the eligible expenses and scholarships reported on your 1098-T through the Your Student Finances link on the Cascade Web. To access this information, use the Student Financial Account link and select "last year" from the drop down box. The information provided in this summary is a record of all charges and credits for the entire year. 

To determine eligibility for any education tax credits, we recommend careful review of the IRS Form 8863.  You may also wish to review our answers to Frequently Asked Questions to help you through this process. 

While the University can provide you with information about your Form 1098-T and the activity on your student account, we cannot provide you with any tax advice or assistance in determining whether you in particular are eligible.  

For information and assistance in the calculation of any applicable education tax credit or in the preparation of your income tax return, we encourage you to contact a tax professional, refer to IRS Publication 970 (Tax Benefits for Higher Education) or contact the IRS at 800.829.1040 or www.irs.ustreas.gov.

If you have any questions or need replacement forms, please contact our our office at 253.879.3214 or via e-mail.