Q. Do I have to put college grants that were given to me by student refund on my taxes?
A. Yes, most likely.
Scholarships that pay for qualified educational expenses (QEE - tuition, fees, books and other course materials) is tax free. Scholarship amounts that exceed QEE is taxable income, on the student’s tax return. Living expenses (room & board) are not QEE.
If box 5 of the 1098-T exceeds box 1, TurboTax (TT) will treat the difference as taxable income, unless you enter additional QEE at books and other expenses.
A student, with no other income, can have up to $15,750 of taxable scholarship (in 2025) and still pay no income tax (and is not required to file a tax return).
