If you apply for financial aid, you might need to provide a copy of your federal return. Use Form 4506 to ask the IRS to send a copy of your return to a third party if you filed:

• Form 1040 
• Form 1040A 
• Form 1040EZ

If you're asked only for IRS verification of your income, use Form 4506-T or Form 4506T-EZ. These forms request the IRS to send a copy of that information to a third party.

Types of Financial Aid

Scholarships -- Scholarships include amounts paid for:

• Academic abilities
• Athletic abilities
• Musical abilities
• Other abilities

If you're a degree candidate, you only pay tax on the part of a scholarship you used to pay for things other than tuition and required fees. Required fees are items required for all students in a particular program.

Scholarship amounts used for these items are taxable:

• Room and board
• Travel
• Research
• Clerical help
• Equipment -- unless required of all students in the course

Grants -- These grants are treated like scholarships and are tax-free if used to pay for qualifying expenses:

• Pell Grants
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• Grants to states for state student incentives

Money from the above grants used for travel to and from school is taxable.

Payments are tax-free for these items received under Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administered laws:

• Education
• Training
• Subsistence

Fulbright Grants -- These grants might be awarded for study, research, or teaching abroad. They're usually treated like any other scholarships in figuring how much of the grant is tax-free. Ex: If you receive a Fulbright Grant for lecturing or teaching, it's payment for services and is taxable.

Reporting Financial Aid

Don't report nontaxable scholarship amounts on your return. Taxable amounts are included with wages -- even if the scholarship amounts aren't shown on a Form W-2.

Form 1040EZ -- Include the taxable amount on line 1. If the income wasn’t reported on Form W-2, print "SCH" and the taxable amount in the space to the left of line 1.

Form 1040 or 1040A -- Include the taxable amount on line 7. If the income wasn't reported on Form W-2, print "SCH" and the taxable amount on the dotted line next to line 7.

Higher Education Benefits

The government provides you with these benefits while you're attending a higher-learning institution:

• For 2009 to 2017, you can claim the American Opportunity Credit for the first 4 years of college. You must be enrolled in at least 1 / 2 of a full-time load in a degree program.
• You can claim the Lifetime Learning Credit for any number of years. This credit applies to the family as a whole, not on a per student basis. These aren't factors for eligibility:
  • Number of hours you're enrolled
  • If you're enrolled in a degree program 

You can claim the tuition and fees deduction to reduce your taxable income by up to $4,000 . This deduction will expire on Dec. 31, 2013. The deduction is based on your higher-education expenses. These aren't factors for eligibility:

• Number of hours you're enrolled
• If you're enrolled in a degree program

State Taxes

Attending school in a state that's not your home state isn't considered a permanent address change. If you're attending college out-of-state, you'll still file taxes with your home state.

However, you'll file a return in both states if either of these applies:

• You earn income in the state where you attend college.
• You’re considered to be a statutory resident of the state where you attend college.

To learn more, see the Education tax tips.