Per the IRS Instructions for Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement:
You, or the person who can claim you as a dependent, may be able to claim an education credit on Form 1040 or Form 1040A. This statement has been furnished to you by an eligible educational institution in which you are enrolled, or by an insurer who makes reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses to you. This statement is required to support any claim for an education credit. Retain this statement for your records. To see if you qualify for a credit, and for help in calculating the amount of your credit, see Pub. 970, Form 8863, and the Form 1040 or 1040A instructions.
Your institution must include its name, address, and information contact telephone number on this statement. It may also include contact information for a service provider. Although the filer or the service provider may be able to answer certain questions about the statement, do not contact the filer or the service provider for explanations of the requirements for (and how to figure) any education credit that you may claim.
Student's taxpayer identification number (TIN). For your protection, this form may show only the last four digits of your SSN, ITIN, ATIN, or EIN. However, the issuer has reported your complete TIN to the IRS. Caution: If your TIN is not shown in this box, your school was not able to provide it. Contact your school if you have questions.
Account number. May show an account or other unique number the filer assigned to distinguish your account.
Box 1. Shows the total payments received in 2017 from any source for qualified tuition and related expenses less any reimbursements or refunds made during 2017 that relate to those payments received during 2016.
Box 2. Shows the total amounts billed in 2017 for qualified tuition and related expenses less any reductions in charges made during 2017 that relate to those amounts billed during 2017.
Box 3. Shows whether your institution changed its method of reporting for 2017. It has changed its method of reporting if the method (payments received or amounts billed) used for 2017 is different than the reporting method used for 2016. You should be aware of this change in figuring your education credits.
Box 4. Shows any adjustment made for a prior year for qualified tuition and related expenses that were reported on a prior year Form 1098-T. This amount may reduce any allowable education credit that you claimed for the prior year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund). See “recapture” in the index to Pub. 970 to report a reduction in your education credit or tuition and fees deduction.
Box 5. Shows the total of all scholarships or grants administered and processed by the eligible educational institution. The amount of scholarships or grants for the calendar year (including those not reported by the institution) may reduce the amount of the education credit you claim for the year.
TIP: You may be able to increase the combined value of an education credit and certain educational assistance (including Pell Grants) if the student includes some or all of the educational assistance in income in the year it is received. For details, see Pub. 970.
Box 6. Shows adjustments to scholarships or grants for a prior year. This amount may affect the amount of any allowable tuition and fees deduction or education credit that you claimed for the prior year. You may have to file an amended income tax return (Form 1040X) for the prior year.
Box 7. Shows whether the amount in box 1 or 2 includes amounts for an academic period beginning January-March 2018. See Pub. 970 for how to report these amounts.
Box 8. Shows whether you are considered to be carrying at least one-half the normal full-time workload for your course of study at the reporting institution.
Box 9. Shows whether you are considered to be enrolled in a program leading to a graduate degree, graduate-level certificate, or other recognized graduate-level educational credential.
Box 10. Shows the total amount of reimbursements or refunds of qualified tuition and related expenses made by an insurer. The amount of reimbursements or refunds for the calendar year may reduce the amount of any education credit you can claim for the year (may result in an increase in tax liability for the year of the refund).