Some students asked for Social Security numbers at Spring Sizzle

Chapman University’s Program Board offered prizes to students who played games like ring toss and skee ball at the Spring Sizzle April 19. Some students were mistakenly asked to fill out W-9 tax forms, which ask for addresses and Social Security numbers, to receive prizes. Photo by Bonnie Cash

At this year’s Spring Sizzle, most students ate watermelon or drank lemonade, but some also filled out W-9 tax forms.

Due to a miscommunication between faculty and the University Program Board, 136 students were asked to complete W-9 forms that asked for information like addresses and Social Security numbers in order to claim prizes at the April 19 event.

Although filing a tax form is necessary for certain prizes, University Vice President of Finance Behzad Binesh said that the students did not need to fill out W-9 forms in this case, because the prizes that were being offered had no market value.

“You cannot go back outside and sell (the Spring Sizzle T-shirt) for $10,” Binesh said. “It’s for Chapman. It’s not Armani or Versace or from Saks Fifth Avenue. This is something that we give to our students as a promotional material item.”

UPB Chair Sam Schlernitzauer told The Panther April 20 that having students fill out the forms is a new university policy for collecting a prize, which Binesh said is incorrect, because the items that were distributed did not legally constitute as a prize.

“People seemed a little freaked out when we were asking about it,” Schlernitzauer said. “It’s not taxes, we’re not taking money, it’s just a new university policy that we have to follow. It’s not just UPB, it’s across the university, like if you win tickets from Residence Life, you have to sign a W-9 now.”

Schlernitzauer declined another interview with The Panther.

Binesh said that Chris Hutchison, the director of student engagement, reached out to Binesh April 20 and apologized, saying that the collection of the 136 forms was a miscommunication. Binesh then asked Hutchison to come into his office, Binesh said, and they shredded the forms together. Binesh said that to the best of his knowledge, all the forms have been gathered and shredded.

Binesh said that the collection of the forms was an “honest mistake” and that Hutchison plans to have a meeting with the students involved in collecting the forms.

Hutchison did not respond to requests for comment from The Panther.

“(The students) were told (by the university), if you give prizes, you have to have (the tax form),” Binesh said. “This T-shirt was basically a giveaway.”

Typically, Binesh said, tax forms like W-9s are only necessary for prizes – cash or otherwise – that total $600 or more. A W-9 includes someone’s name, address, Social Security number and tax identification number.

Quinton Capretta, an undeclared sophomore who attended the event, said that he was not comfortable with having his information collected.

“There is no way I would give my Social Security number to receive a prize,” Quinton Capretta, an undeclared sophomore who attended the event, said.

Binesh said that, to his knowledge, this is the first time that the W-9 form has been used incorrectly at an event. The university has not received any complaints from students who were concerned about their Social Security numbers being recorded, Binesh said.

“I really encourage students, if they have ever been asked (for their Social Security number), call us,” Binesh said. “Of course, here is a little different. Because if a student realizes that this is their fellow student doing this, this is Chapman University, so there is a certain level of trust.”