Franklin University Partners for its 10th Year with the United Way in the Free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, a leader in educating working adults in central Ohio, is proud to announce its 10th year anniversary participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program with United Way of Central Ohio’s Tax Time to deliver free tax preparation services. Leveraging its online expertise and access, the University has enhanced its virtual support services for the good of the community, in addition to offering Saturday drop-off appointments. The VITA service is available to those with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers in the central Ohio community, and provides staffing to prepare tax returns for filers with $64,000 or less in income.

Franklin’s continued partnership provides a community-forward focus that compliments the University’s applied approach to education. Students participating in this year’s effort have the benefit of pairing curriculum with experimental learning through this service learning. In addition to the benefits of helping process benefits to participating clients, students likewise profit from nearly 50 service hours of community service over the course of the two and a half months tax preparation offering, in addition to valuable, hands-on training. To prepare for this year’s tax preparation service, volunteers and students have put their training to the test by becoming IRS-certified. Training consists of 30 mandated videos covering topics ranging from filing status to determining alien tax status. 

Building on the practical skills developed through Franklin’s Accounting and Financial degree programs, participating students may earn credits through Franklin’s Accounting 411 course offering, in addition to soft skills gained, such as self-assurance to engage in conversations about sensitive financial matters, along with the confidence to answer common inquiries about federal and state tax codes. Expanding on their degrees, students learn to research in real-time and problem-solve while exercising professional service skills by troubleshooting the more difficult tax problems and less common documents that taxpayers may bring or upload for this consulting session.

The experience of propelling his knowledge outside the classroom while giving back drew Richard Turski to the program as a student volunteer, “I appreciate the opportunity to not only advance in my academics but to offer help and guidance to those in our community to properly, efficiently, and effectively submit their taxes.”

With an expected job growth of 7.2% by 2030, according to Emsi Labor Market Analytics, accounting students at Franklin are set up for success with hands-on experience taught by in-field accounting professionals. “We want our students to graduate not only with the relevant skills and knowledge to be successful in their careers, but also recognize the importance of their social responsibilities as citizens,” according to Franklin’s Dr. Martina Peng, CFP®, chair of the Department of Accounting, Finance, and Risk Management.

Eligible candidates can call 2-1-1 or go to www.getyourrefund.org/UWCO to see if they qualify for this free tax preparation service. United Way has integrated a new scheduling service to make appointments for Saturday drop-off times: https://book.appointment-plus.com/4s4ye5em//#/book-appointment/select-s….

To learn more about Franklin’s accredited online master’s in Accounting program, rated the #1 Online Accounting degree, visit: https://www.franklin.edu/degrees/masters/accounting
 

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).