Well, then I guess there is a hope that the 1098T will finally be something other than a junk informational return. No clue why they allowed schools to be so loosey-goosey with reporting when expenses are paid.
Big challenge very quickly (as in January, for many families): Telling colleges what charges a specific payment or loan proceed is to match. Many merit scholarships are issued “in an amount equal to half tuition” – which is not the same as a half-tuition scholarship. In many cases, the family is better off by allowing school grant money to apply to room & board so that family/loan funds are applied to tuition and mandatory fees.