Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR
§ 1.6050S-1. Information reporting for qualified tuition and related expenses.
Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).
Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 6050S
Cite as 26 CFR § 1.6050S-1
At a glance
Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.
- Status
- In the current eCFR
- Issued
- December 19, 2002 by T.D. 9029
- Last amended
- July 15, 2014 by T.D. 9675
- Issued under
- 26 U.S.C. § 6050S
- Length
- 6,375 words · about 28 min to read
- Cross-references
- cites 8 Code sections and 4 regulations; cited by 1
Student A, a medical doctor, takes a course at University X's medical school. Student A takes the course to fulfill State Y's licensing requirement that medical doctors attend continuing medical education courses each year. Student A is not enrolled in a degree program at University X and takes the medical course through University X's continuing professional education division. University X does not offer credit toward a post-secondary degree on an academic transcript for the completion of the course but gives Student A a certificate of attendance upon completion. Under this paragraph (a)(2)(ii), University X is not subject to the information reporting requirements of section 6050S and this section for the medical education course taken by Student A.
(i) In early August 2003, University X bills enrolled Student A $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2003 Fall semester. In late August 2003, Student A pays $11,000 to University X. In early September 2003, Student A drops to half-time enrollment for the 2003 Fall semester. In late September 2003, University X credits $5,000 to Student A's account, reflecting a $5,000 reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses. In late September 2003, University X applies the $5,000 positive account balance toward current charges.
(ii) Under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $11,000 payment is treated as a payment of qualified tuition and related expenses up to the $10,000 billed for qualified tuition and related expenses. Under paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section, the $5,000 credited to the student's account is treated as a reimbursement or refund of payments for qualified tuition and related expenses, because the current year charges for qualified tuition and related expenses were reduced by $5,000. Under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, University X is required to net the $10,000 payment received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003 against the $5,000 reimbursement or refund of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003. Therefore, Institution X is required to report $5,000 of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003.
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that Student A pays the full $16,000 in late August 2003. In late September 2003, University X reduces the tuition charges by $5,000 and issues a $5,000 refund to Student A.
(ii) Under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $16,000 payment is treated as a payment of qualified tuition and related expenses up to the $10,000 billed for qualified tuition and related expenses. Under paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section, the $5,000 refund is treated as reimbursement or refund of payments for qualified tuition and related expenses, because the current year charges for qualified tuition and related expenses were reduced by $5,000. Under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, University X is required to net the $10,000 payment received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003 against the $5,000 reimbursement or refund of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003. Therefore, Institution X is required to report $5,000 of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003.
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that Student A is enrolled full-time, and, in early September 2003, Student A decides to live at home with her parents. In late September 2003, University X adjusts Student A's account to eliminate room and board charges and issues a $1,000 refund to Student A.
(ii) Under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $11,000 payment is treated as a payment of qualified tuition and related expenses up to the $10,000 billed for qualified tuition and related expenses. Under paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section, the $1,000 refund is not treated as reimbursement or refund of payments for qualified tuition and related expenses, because there is no reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses. Therefore, under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, University X is required to report $10,000 of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003.
(i) In early December 2003, College Y bills enrolled Student B $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2004 Spring semester. In late December 2003, Student B pays $16,000. In mid-January 2004, after the 2004 Spring semester classes begin, Student B drops to half-time enrollment. In mid-January 2004, College Y credits Student B's account with $5,000, reflecting a $5,000 reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses, but does not issue a refund to Student B. In early August 2004, College Y bills Student B $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2004 Fall semester. In early September 2004, College Y applies the $5,000 positive account balance toward Student B's $16,000 bill for the 2004 Fall semester. In late September 2004, Student B pays $6,000 towards the charges.
(ii) In the reporting for calendar year 2003, under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $16,000 payment in December 2003 is treated as a payment of qualified tuition and related expenses up to the $10,000 billed for qualified tuition and related expenses. Under paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, College Y is required to report $10,000 of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003. In addition, College Y is required to indicate that the payments reported for 2003 relate to an academic period that begins during the first three months of the next calendar year.
(iii) In the reporting for calendar year 2004, under paragraph (b)(2)(vi) of this section, the $5,000 credited to Student B's account is treated as a reimbursement or refund of qualified tuition and related expenses, because the charges for qualified tuition and related expenses were reduced by $5,000. Under paragraph (b)(2)(iv) of this section, the $5,000 reimbursement or refund of qualified tuition and related expenses must be separately reported on Form 1098-T because it relates to payments of qualified tuition and related expenses reported by College Y for 2003. Under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $5,000 positive account balance that is applied toward charges for the 2004 Fall semester is treated as a payment. Therefore, College Y received total payments of $11,000 during 2004 (the $5,000 credit plus the $6,000 payment). Under paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section, the $11,000 of total payments are treated as a payment of qualified tuition and related expenses up to the $10,000 billed for such expenses. Therefore, for 2004, College Y is required to report $10,000 of payments received for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2004 and a $5,000 refund of payments of qualified tuition and related expenses reported for 2003.
(i) In early August 2003, University X bills enrolled Student A $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2003 Fall semester. In late August 2003, Student A pays $11,000 to University X. In early September 2003, Student A drops to half-time enrollment for the 2003 Fall semester. In late September 2003, University X adjusts Student A's account and reduces the charges for qualified tuition and related expenses by $5,000 to reflect half-time enrollment. In late September 2003, University X applies the $5,000 account balance toward current charges.
(ii) Under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section, University X is required to net the $10,000 amount of qualified tuition and related expenses billed during 2003 against the $5,000 reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003. Therefore, Institution X is required to report $5,000 in amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003.
(i) The facts are the same as in Example 1, except that, in addition, in early December 2003, College X bills Student A $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2004 Spring semester. In early January 2004, Student A pays $16,000. In mid-January 2004, after the 2004 Spring semester classes begin, Student A drops to half-time enrollment. In mid-January 2004, College X credits $5,000 to Student A's account, reflecting a $5,000 reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses, but does not issue a refund check to Student A. In early August 2004, College X bills Student A $10,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses and $6,000 for room and board for the 2004 Fall semester. In early September 2004, College X applies the $5,000 positive account balance toward Student A's $16,000 bill for the 2004 Fall semester. In late September 2004, Student A pays $6,000 toward the charges.
(ii) In the reporting for calendar year 2003, under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section, College X is required to report $15,000 amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2003 ($5,000 for the 2003 Fall semester and $10,000 for the 2004 Spring semester). In addition, College X is required to indicate that some of the amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses reported for 2003 relate to an academic period that begins during the first three months of the next calendar year.
(iii) In the reporting for calendar year 2004, under paragraph (b)(3)(iv) of this section, the $5,000 reduction in charges for qualified tuition and related expenses must be separately reported on Form 1098-T because it relates to amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported by College X for 2003. Under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section, College X is required to report $10,000 in amounts billed for qualified tuition and related expenses during 2004.
[T.D. 9029, 67 FR 77682, Dec. 19, 2002; 68 FR 6350, Feb. 7, 2003; T.D. 9675, 79 FR 41131, July 15, 2014]
Cross-references
Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.
Code sections it cites
- § 25A American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits
- § 7701 Definitions
- § 6050S Returns relating to higher education tuition and related expenses
- § 6011 General requirement of return, statement, or list
- § 6721 Failure to file correct information returns
- § 6724 Waiver; definitions and special rules
- § 6722 Failure to furnish correct payee statements
- § 6723 Failure to comply with other information reporting requirements
Regulations it cites
- § 301.7701(b)-3 Days of presence in the United States that are excluded for purposes of section 7701(b).
- § 301.6011-2 Required use of electronic form.
- § 301.6109-4 IRS truncated taxpayer identification numbers.
- § 301.6724-1 Reasonable cause.
Cited by 1 other regulation
Amendment history
From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.
- Amended by T.D. 9675 (79 FR 41131)
- Amended (68 FR 6350)
- Issued by T.D. 9029 (67 FR 77682)
Where it sits in 26 CFR
- Subchapter A Income tax
- Part 1 Income taxes
- Information returns
Nearby sections
- § 1.6050P-0 Table of contents.
- § 1.6050P-1 Information reporting for discharges of indebtedness by certain entities.
- § 1.6050P-2 Organization a significant trade or business of which is the lending of money.
- § 1.6050S-0 Table of contents.
- § 1.6050S-1 Information reporting for qualified tuition and related expenses.
- § 1.6050S-2 Information reporting for payments and reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses.
- § 1.6050S-3 Information reporting for payments of interest on qualified education loans.
- § 1.6050S-4 Information reporting for payments of interest on qualified education loans.
- § 1.6050W-1 Information reporting for payments made in settlement of payment card and third party network transactions.