Q. Is work study claimed as income?
A. Yes, if the student receives a W-2 or 1099-NEC for the income. If the pay is in the form of reduced tuition, then no. If the pay is in the form of scholarship, and reported in box 5, of the student's 1098-T, then it is handled like any other scholarship.
Q. If my child is in college and worked summer 2025 to pay for classes, how is that handled?
A. The W-2/1099 income is reported as income on the student's tax return (if it's enough for the student to be required to file or there was withholding to be refunded). The fact that the student (or her parent) is paying for college does not change that.
