Students Gain Hands-On Experience While Giving Back Through On-Campus Tax Prep Program

Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between Seton Hall University and both the United Way of Greater Newark and the United Way of Northern New Jersey (UWNNJ), the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program returned to campus this spring, offering free tax return preparation services to the Seton Hall community.

Students enrolled in the Tax Lab course, offered through the Department of Accounting and Taxation in the Stillman School of Business, provided tax preparation services during two on-campus events held on February 21 and April 4. Both appointments and walk-ins were welcome. Using IRS-certified training and a software platform called TaxSlayer, the students prepared and filed 2024 federal and state tax returns during each one-hour session.

This season, Seton Hall student volunteers successfully filed 1,338 free tax returns, resulting in $969,860 in refunds issued. Combined with the $234,400 saved in avoided tax preparation fees, the total value delivered to the community reached an impressive $1.2 million.

“I cannot say enough about our partnership with the United Way. This experience has been invaluable to our students. What better way to learn than to do — all while giving back to the community,” said Danielle DiMeglio, C.P.A., M.B.A., director of graduate accounting programs and instructor of accounting and taxation. “As an advisor to most of these students, the positive feedback has been endless.”

Angie P. Canon, a student in the M.S. in Professional Accounting and Analytics program and a former accountant in Colombia, shared that she had a great experience at the Tax Lab event. “As a tax preparer, we took the time to answer every question with patience and clarity, making the whole process feel easy and stress-free. It was an incredible moment in both my professional and academic journey, and I was proud to contribute to the community.”

In addition to students in the Tax Lab course, students from Professor and Associate Dean Mark Schild’s Finance class also participated in the events, supporting outreach and logistics to ensure smooth operations throughout the day. “This was a perfect opportunity for Finance students to apply classroom concepts to a real-world service initiative. It’s been rewarding to see them engage with the community and contribute to a program with real impact,” said Schild.

Seton Hall students also have opportunities to volunteer at VITA sites operated by United Way of Greater Newark and the United Way of Northern New Jersey, where online and drop-off tax preparation services are available to community members.

“This partnership has been such a benefit to our communities,” said Monica Conover, associate director, financial stability, United Way of Northern New Jersey. “Our tax clients receive a free quality service and students not only receive real-life experience but also the opportunity to be mentored by volunteers recently retired with accounting backgrounds. We look forward to working with Seton Hall each season.”

DiMeglio added, "Our students were grateful to have gained this life skill through a wonderful working environment. We hope to continue this for years to come!"

Categories: Business