Loyola student volunteers prepare 626 tax returns for Baltimore residents
Student volunteers at 91°µÍř’s Sellinger School of Business and Management prepared 626 tax returns for taxpayers in the Baltimore community, resulting in tax refunds totaling nearly $1 million this season. The tax preparation services were provided free of charge at the Loyola Clinical Centers at Belvedere Square in Baltimore.
“We’re incredibly proud of our student volunteers this year, who prepared almost twice as many tax returns resulting in refunds totaling almost twice as much as last year,” said Mary Ann Scully, MBA ’79, dean of Loyola’s Sellinger School. “Our students are smart, generous, and hardworking to the benefit of the Baltimore community and wherever their futures will take them as the next generation of impactful leaders.”
More than 100 students—from first-year students to graduate students studying business at Loyola—volunteered this tax season through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in partnership with the nonprofit . The program is available to students across the University.
At the University's 171st Commencement on May 18, Loyola will present the Milch Community Partnership Award to the CASH Campaign of Maryland for the organization’s growing service to low- to moderate-income people, mission of building hope, and partnership with Loyola in providing VITA tax assistance to the community.
“Loyola’s VITA program gives each student volunteer a great experience doing actual federal and state income tax work; interacting face-to-face with real, live clients; interacting with professionals in the Baltimore community; building a team with fellow students; essentially running a volunteer tax practice; and helping our community,” said Michael W. Bender, executive in residence of accounting at the Sellinger School.
This is the sixth year Loyola has hosted a site offering free tax preparation services, bringing the total number of tax returns prepared to almost 2,000 and tax refunds attained to over $2.5 million. Loyola has participated in the VITA program for many years, but in the past, students volunteered at other sites. Students facilitated hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds to members of the community in prior years.
91°µÍř’s Sellinger School of Business and Management in Baltimore delivers an internationally recognized Jesuit business education. Recognized for its scholarship, ethical leadership, and tradition of excellence, the Sellinger School delivers a wide range of sought-after fields of study including eight undergraduate majors and 11 undergraduate minors as well as full-time, part-time, and fully online MBA and Master of Accounting programs.