Thanks for the reply. One issue I am not sure about is that it does appear that I am taxed on my remission (since my refund drops significantly when I say that it is not part of the amount listed on my W-2 as opposed to when I say that it is part of the W-2 amount). I am not sure how to guarantee that I am not taxed for this amount, since, as you say, it should not be taxable given that it is not used for room and board.
