There are only two scenarios students and their families need to contend with, making it simpler to figure out whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the award income.
In most cases, your student doesn’t have to pay taxes on college scholarships if the cash is spent on qualified educational expenses (based on the IRS definition).
QUALIFYING EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES
- Tuition - Fees (including mandatory student activity fees) - Books - Equipment and Supplies (listed as must-haves for the course)
TAXABLE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS
- Room and Board - Insurance - Medical Costs - Transportation - Utilities - Equipment or Supplies not Required for the Course - Other Living or Personal Expenses
TAXABLE STIPEND SCHOLARSHIPS
A stipend is money given in exchange for a service. For example, if your student receives a scholarship in exchange for assistant teaching a class, that money is income and therefore taxable.
(...And Avoid Student Loan Debt)