Tuition was charged in 2016, scholarship dispensed in 2017 - 1098T makes it look like scholarship was income

[egbrown37326]

I graduated in May 2017; my tuition for the spring semester was about $8k and I had a $4.5k scholarship. 

The problem is, apparently I was charged the tuition bill in November 2016, even though the bill was due (and I couldn't pay it) until spring 2017, which is the same time my scholarship was dispensed. So my 1098-T form makes it look like tuition was $0 and I got a $4500 scholarship. Since the scholarship was higher than the tuition bill, it counts as income that I haven't paid any taxes on. 

Is there anything I can do about this?

[MarilynG · Accepted solution]

You can enter the $8k tuition you paid in 2017, even though it is not on your 1098T, unless you already claimed it in 2016 for an education credit.

If you claimed it in 2016, you can enter your 1098-T for 2017 showing the Scholarship as belonging to 2016 also (screenshot). 

if you didn't claim your tuition in 2016, open the 1098-T entry and click on 'What if this is not the amount I paid to my school?' under Box 2 on the 1098-T entry form.

Another box opens where you can enter the amount you actually paid in 2017 (screenshot).

[egbrown37326]

Thank you, that's really good to know! Just to clarify: I should check my 2016 return to make sure I didn't claim my tuition then, and if I didn't, I should find my 2016 1098-T and add in the amount listed in Box 1 (or Box 2?) of that form into the "Tuition Actually Paid" box?