It's that time of year: UW-Oshkosh students deliver free tax assistance to community

Cori Thomas '96, '04 MBA, an adjunct accounting instructor at UW-Oshkosh, supervises students preparing tax returns during a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) session in Sage Hall's Finance Trading Room. The program provides free tax preparation for qualifying community members while giving students hands-on experience working with real clients.

For seven weeks each spring semester, the Sage Hall Finance Trading Room becomes a hands-on classroom. Twice a week, UW-Oshkosh accounting students prepare free tax returns through the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, serving community members while applying what they have learned in real time.

Kazeem Akinyele, an associate professor of accounting at UW-Oshkosh, serves as the university's VITA coordinator, helping guide the program as an experiential learning opportunity for students in the School of Business.

"Students learn it in the classroom, they earn their certifications and then they apply it in real time with real clients," said Akinyele, who is also the accounting discipline coordinator. "That is invaluable."

The VITA site at UW-Oshkosh has deep roots. The program was active on campus at least as far back as the early 1990s, when Cori Thomas, '96, '04 MBA, now an adjunct faculty member who teaches and supervises the program, participated as a student. Today, she helps lead the same hands-on learning experience that shaped her own education.

Nationally, the VITA program has operated for more than 50 years under the guidance of the Internal Revenue Service, providing free basic tax return preparation to qualifying individuals, generally those earning around $69,000 or less, as well as people with disabilities, older adults and limited English-speaking taxpayers. All volunteers must complete IRS tax law training, pass certification exams annually and undergo a quality review process before returns are electronically filed.

Federal and local partnerships

At UW-Oshkosh, the site operates in partnership with the IRS and is funded locally through support from the Oshkosh Area United Way, which has partnered with the University on VITA since at least 2008, according to available records. United Way grant funding supports key program roles, including the program lead, coordinator and an additional tax reviewer, helping ensure the site has the staffing and structure needed to manage the growing number of returns prepared each season. The organization also assists with volunteer engagement and program visibility.

Heidi Thomas, president and CEO of Oshkosh Area United Way, said investing in the VITA site at UW-Oshkosh aligns directly with the organization's mission to strengthen financial stability in the community.

"For many households living paycheck to paycheck, tax refunds and credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit can make a meaningful difference," Thomas said. "This collaboration ensures people can access trusted assistance locally, while also creating valuable experiential learning opportunities for students. It's a partnership that strengthens financial well-being and community connection."

Student volunteers complete required IRS training and pass multiple certification exams before preparing returns and every return undergoes a quality review before filing.

Each spring, students complete a three-course sequence in accounting that prepares them for direct client service. During the interim term, they begin by working through the federal 1040 form, learning how income is reported, how deductions are applied and how credits can generate refunds. The coursework builds foundational knowledge before students ever sit down with a client.

Before participating in the hands-on portion of the program, students must complete three IRS certifications, including the advanced-level certification required to prepare returns within VITA's scope. Only after successfully completing those certifications are they eligible to work directly with taxpayers.

"We start with the 1040, walk through income, deductions and credits, and then students have to complete their certifications before they can meet with clients," Thomas said.

This spring, 14 students are completing the experiential portion of the course, serving clients twice a week for seven weeks.

Demand for the service continues to rise. In 2022, the site completed 73 returns. That number increased to 105 in 2023 and jumped to 198 in 2024. This year, the program is on pace to file approximately 250 returns.

"We are seeing the increase in need," Akinyele said. "More people are coming in, and more students are stepping up."

Learning beyond the textbook

For junior accounting and human resources major Taylor Clerkin, the unpredictability of real client situations is what makes the experience so valuable.

"It's really exciting because you never know what's going to happen," said Clerkin, who is from Winneconne. "In class, everything is more black and white. In real life, it's not like that."

Students begin with an intake interview, reviewing documentation and clarifying details before preparing the return. Each filing then moves through a layered review process, with experienced student reviewers and faculty oversight ensuring accuracy before clients return to finalize their taxes.

When unfamiliar situations arise, collaboration becomes part of the lesson.

"Sometimes you see something and you think, 'What do I do with this?'" Clerkin said. "Everybody kind of comes together and we figure it out."

Thomas said the learning extends well beyond tax forms and calculations.

"It's humbling," she said. "Students sometimes think they don't make much money, and then they work with people who are living on far less. It changes their perspective."

She also sees noticeable growth in confidence and communication skills.

"There's a stereotype that accountants aren't social," Thomas said. "This absolutely brings out the social side of them. They gain confidence talking to people."

Service With Societal Impact

Clients served through the UW-Oshkosh VITA site include elderly residents seeking homestead credits, individuals navigating divorce or loss, people with incarcerated spouses and college students filing independently for the first time.

Many could pay $100 to $200 or more for professional tax preparation. Others may not have reliable internet access to file on their own.

"For most of these people, they cannot afford to hire someone," Akinyele said. "And some of them don't even have internet to file themselves."

Beyond saving preparation fees, refunds often return much-needed dollars to families and back into the local economy.

"A lot of clients who might not get certain refunds elsewhere are getting them here," Akinyele said. "This is meaningful impact. I call it societal impact that the School of Business is making."

A Titan returns to serve

For Barry Yarbro '71, a political science graduate, the program is both service and homecoming.

A retired United Methodist pastor who served for 40 years before retiring in 2014, Yarbro began volunteering with VITA in 2015 after auditing a federal income tax course. Now in his 11th year with the program, he returns to campus each spring to work alongside students.

"I feel at home on this campus," Yarbro said.

He values the opportunity to mentor future accountants while serving the community.

"It provides a real service, and people really are grateful for it," Yarbro said. "There's a lot of reward in doing that."

He believes the interpersonal growth students gain may be just as important as technical accuracy.

"One of the valuable things about this is that accounting majors get a chance to work with people," Yarbro said. "That's as much a good business skill as putting numbers into a computer."

Education in action

Students are not paid for their work. The service is part of a credit-bearing course, and only the instructor and designated student reviewers receive compensation through grant funding.

For Clerkin, the experience has reshaped how she sees her future in accounting. Before enrolling in the course, she filed her own taxes through an online app. Now, she understands the forms, credits and nuances behind the software and the people behind the paperwork.

"I definitely didn't think I'd like working with people as much as I do," Clerkin said. "But I really like working with the individuals. I love helping people."

Learn more:

UW-Oshkosh VITA

Study accounting at UWO
School of Business at UWO