Free Tax Prep, Extra Hope
Loyola students gain lifelong skills while preparing free tax returns
Jessica Goldstein and Andrew Aldrich
Kacey Pupo, ’26, was majoring in information systems and data analytics when she started volunteering with Loyola’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program in January 2024. That experience helping prepare tax returns for qualified individuals was so important to her that she decided to add a second major in accounting—and pursue a career in tax work. After serving as a VITA site director this past season, she accepted a position as a tax associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
It’s not an unusual story for VITA. Student volunteers often cite that they find meaning and insights into their career paths after working with low- to moderate-income residents.
The VITA leadership team visited Grant Thornton and RSM firms - Photo by Ashley Morales, ’27
The students’ service has a dramatic impact—both on the students as volunteers and on the Baltimore residents they support. This past tax season, Loyola student volunteers prepared 1,101 tax returns free of charge for qualifying taxpayers in Baltimore, resulting in $1.95 million tax refunds. This was the eighth year Loyola hosted a Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program site at the Loyola Clinical Centers at Belvedere Square in Baltimore.
The program has grown steadily since the pandemic and started doubling every year once Michael W. Bender, executive in residence of accounting, took the lead in 2021. The program was named an IRS VITA Superior Winner last year by the Beta Alpha Psi honor society for preparing a high number of tax returns and high student participation.
“What we do matters,” said Bender, who credits this work as the most meaningful of his more than 40-year career in public accounting. “It’s a fabulous service for the community, and students get real life experience in taxes and working with people and exposure to things they wouldn’t otherwise.”
Loyola invites students from any major to participate as long as they go through the training, pass an IRS-sanctioned exam, and commit to volunteering for at least five evening and Saturday sessions.
This season more than 265 IRS-certified students—from first-year to graduate students—volunteered in partnership with two dozen professional volunteers and the nonprofit, Creating Assets, Savings and Hope (CASH) Campaign of Maryland.
“This growth only happens because we’ve got an enthusiastic, innovative leader in Mike Bender; a set of exceptionally generous and motivated students, professionals, and community partners; and the infrastructure to make this all work,” said JP Krahel, Ph.D., chair of accounting, who first invited Loyola students to volunteer at other CASH locations, in 2014, before the University became a host.
Recognizing the extraordinary impact, Loyola honored CASH Campaign of Maryland two years ago with the University’s Milch Community Partnership Award.
In turn, CASH recognizes how Loyola volunteers embrace the significance of VITA. “Loyola students quickly realize how important this work is. Saving on tax preparation fees can mean a month’s worth of groceries, and a tax refund may be the largest amount of money a client receives all year,” said Rob Bader, J.D., CASH director of tax operations, who has collaborated with Loyola’s tax volunteering from the beginning. “So, they approach each return with care, professionalism, and a commitment to supporting those who need it most.”
The students’ dedication to helping Baltimore taxpayers aligns well with Loyola’s Jesuit, liberal arts approach, Bender said. “VITA is experiential learning while serving the community. How much better can that get?”
VITA student participants gain so much through the experience that they sometimes return as alumni volunteers.
VITA team serves a pancake breakfast to thank volunteers / More than 265 student volunteers receive training to assist with tax preparation for the Baltimore community. - Photos by Ashley Morales, ’27
That’s the case for Edward Baddour, ’25, MAcc ’26, who started serving as a student VITA leader in fall 2024. “Through VITA, I became so passionate about the tax services we provide to our community that I plan to continue volunteering at Loyola’s VITA site in the future. It truly inspired me to a lifelong commitment to using my professional skills to help others.”
Since 2019, the Loyola VITA program has prepared a total of 3,762 tax returns and attained tax refunds of more than $6.2 million. Before Loyola opened a site, Loyola students volunteered at other locations, facilitating hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional refunds.