FAQ

A scholarship or fellowship grant is tax free (excludable from gross income) only if you are a candidate for a degree at an eligible educational institution. The taxable portion of your scholarship award is calculated as follows:
 
Total of all scholarships from Harvard University
Less: Required tuition and fees charged to your student bill  
Equals: Taxable portion of your award
 
Since it is impossible for the University to determine what each student pays for books, fees, supplies and equipment required for courses of instruction, only the amount of tuition and fees charged to your student account will be included in this calculation.

A scholarship or fellowship grant is tax free (excludable from gross income) only if you are a candidate for a degree at an eligible educational institution. U.S. tax law divides scholarships received into two parts. Scholarship that is used for tuition is not taxable, but scholarship that is used for living expenses is taxable. Expenses that are considered tuition include all tuition and fees required for enrollment, books, fees, supplies, and equipment for courses of instruction. Additional amounts, such as amounts provided for room and board or for travel expenses, are taxable.

If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien, Harvard will not withhold taxes on your scholarship or monthly graduate stipend. Part of your scholarship may be considered taxable income, however (please see below). Permanent residents are treated like U.S. citizens for tax purposes.

If you're an undergraduate student and meet the tests for residency (see Internal Revenue Service Publication 519), please notify the Student Accounts Office of your status change. If you're a graduate student, please notify International Payee Tax Compliance.

If you are a foreign student and your award is in excess of your tuition and required fees, then Harvard is required to report the amount of the excess and any withholding you were charged to the IRS on Form 1042-S. Harvard must make this report even if you have no withholdings and no tax liability because of a tax treaty.
 

Form 1042-S is issued to nonresident aliens (for tax purposes) who have received scholarships that exceed tuition and mandatory fees. Form 1042-S is a report of tax withheld and is mailed in mid-March.

Graduate students who have questions about the information on this form can contact International Payee Tax Compliance. Undergraduates with questions on the 1042-S can contact Student Accounts.

To obtain copies of your 1098-T from years prior to 2015, please contact the Student Accounts Office at student_billing@harvard.edu.

Forms are made available at my.harvard.edu in January. Students will be notified by email as soon as they are available.

Not all students are eligible to receive a 1098-T. Forms will not be issued under the following circumstances:

• The amount paid for qualified tuition and related expenses* in the calendar year is less than or equal to the total scholarships disbursed that year.
• Qualified tuition and related expenses in the calendar year were paid in full by a third-party organization.
• No qualified tuition or related expenses were paid for in the calendar year.

 

*Please note that "related expenses" do not include charges for room, board, insurance, health fees, transportation or similar expenses.

 

The 1098-T is a record of the financial information reported by Harvard to the IRS on a student's behalf. The information on form 1098T can be used to help you determine if you are eligible for education tax credits when filing a U.S. tax return*. The information includes the total amount paid for qualified tuition and related expenses in a calendar year (Box 1) and the total amount of scholarships or grants disbursed in the calendar year (Box 5). Related expenses do not include charges for room, board, insurance, health fees, transportation or similar expenses. You will not receive a 1098-T if your scholarships or grants (including third-party sponsor payments) exceed your qualified tuition and expenses.

*If another individual claims a student as a tax dependent, or is responsible for filing their taxes, it is very important that they are forwarded a copy of the 1098-T.

 

All Harvard applicants and current students are encouraged to apply for other forms of financial aid based on the policies of the school you will be attending. Receipt of Ch33 funding doesn’t impact a student’s eligibility for any other type of financial aid. However, any form of funding meant to offset the cost of tuition and required fees will be deducted from the amount certified to the VA. 

If you have specific questions about a program, most of that information can be found on the school or department’s website, with links to contacts. If you have questions about alternate financial aid options, prospective students can contact the school’s Financial Aid Office. If you have questions about your certification or late/missing payments, please contact the Certifying Official for your program:   Harvard Extension School: Joseph Frechette 617-495-4293   Harvard College & Graduate Schools: studentaccountoperations_fad@harvard.edu or 617-496-8050   Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School   Executive Education Program at Harvard Kennedy School

Each branch of the service has its own application process, forms, and benefits. Please visit the Military Tuition Assistance page for details.