If the 1098-T was issued for the last semester of your last year in college, then that would be for your fifth ***CALENDAR* year. It is more common for that last semester of your last year to have actually been paid in the prior semester, which would be the fourth calendar year. So it's perfectly possible that your 1098-T would show a ZERO in box 1 *AND* and ZERO in box 2. (Box 2 is no longer used after the 2017 tax year)
However, if you *ACTUALLY* did pay tuition, books, and/or lab fees in that fifth calendar year, and you paid them "AFTER" the 1098-T was cut (which would be highly unusual, but not impossible) then the 1098-T would "in fact" show zeros in boxes 1 and 2. So long as you can provide the IRS receipts that prove you paid the qualified expense in whatever tax year we're referring to here, then it shouldn't be a problem.
Just understand that the letter you got from the IRS has a "drop dead" date on it. If you don't respond with your proof by that drop dead date, then you lose with no possibility of recourse.
