Center for Community Engaged Learning Highlights: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
A group photo of 2025-2026 MSU VITA volunteers in the Minskoff Pavilion.
MSU Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) had an excellent year as a community-oriented professional development program. This registered student organization, co-advised by the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) and the Broad College of Business, trains student volunteers to seek IRS certification and prepare tax returns for clients earning less than $69,000 per year.
“VITA gives students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom while serving the community in a meaningful way,” says Tina Houghton, CCEL assistant director and MSU VITA advisor. “Students develop professional skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and customer service, while gaining a better understanding of the financial challenges many individuals and families face.”
The services MSU VITA provides are made possible through partnership with the United Way of South Central Michigan’s Regional VITA Program. On campus, MSU VITA supported United Way’s tax year 2025 efforts with their own site at the MSU Union. “I was proud of their positive partnerships with United Way and the impact our volunteers had in helping community members access free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits,” Houghton says.
In October 2025, MSU VITA student leaders launched a tax bootcamp training program to prepare 81 volunteers for tax season. Training was previously delivered through a series of videos developed by United Way. To provide a more comprehensive experience for volunteers of all skill levels, the executive board built a suite of PowerPoint presentations from scratch and created in-person events for new preparers to learn and connect.
“The idea to implement an in-person tax bootcamp came down to the fact that, while United Way’s training was beneficial, it could be confusing to those with no tax experience,” says Caiden Kippnick, vice president of MSU VITA. “This could lead to burnout and less interest in the organization. We wanted to create something that prevented this.”
The launch of the first-ever series of tax bootcamps was a “significant milestone,” says Erich Schroder, president of MSU VITA. “While creating the project was difficult at times, our team stepped up to the challenge to make this possible.”
For the training program and their community engagement, MSU VITA received the inaugural Professional Development Program of the Year award from the Broad Student Senate. “It is truly astonishing that something that was just an idea a year ago is now being recognized as a benchmark for other organizations in the business college to follow,” Kippnick says.
A group photo of MSU VITA executive board members after accepting the inaugural Professional Development Program of the Year award from the Broad Student Senate. L to R: MSU VITA co-advisor Wayne Nesbitt, social media director Brayden Shimon, vice president Caiden Kippnick, president Erich Schroeder, treasurer Kaitlyn Dimock, client relations chair Katherine Ristich, and recruiter Calvin Zheng.
MSU VITA vice president Caiden Kippnick (left) and president Erich Schroeder (right) present a slide about milestones for the 2025-2026 academic year at MSU VITA’s end-of-year celebration meeting. Highlights on the slide include holding 14 tax bootcamp trainings, launching a client booking form on their website, and preparing international tax returns for the first time.
“Receiving Professional Development Program of the Year was truly a testament to everyone’s effort and dedication shown throughout the tax season,” says Brayden Shimon, MSU VITA social media director. “It reflects the hard work put in by not just the leadership team, but also by every volunteer who contributed their time and energy throughout the year.”
For tax year 2025, MSU VITA volunteers served 73 clients, securing $56,846 in federal refunds. These efforts saved clients an estimated $15,840 in tax preparation fees. Beyond keeping this money within the local community, VITA volunteers earn valuable insight into the lives of Greater Lansing neighbors.
“Each client comes in with more than just their financials—they bring their own stories and personal history,” Schroeder says. “Every interaction brought new circumstances and new learning opportunities that pushed me to grow.”
Calvin Zheng, an MSU VITA recruiter and rising president, says he appreciated the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of clients. “From students to refugees, to F-1 visa holders, to elderly clients, it was always enjoyable to hear their stories,” he shares.
In future years, Houghton would like to see MSU VITA prioritize certification in foreign tax returns for all volunteers. “This would expand our capacity to serve clients, provide volunteers with experience handling more complex tax situations, and strengthen our partnership with the Office for International Students and Scholars,” she says. “It would also help us better support MSU's large international student population and further our impact on campus and in the community.”
In the meantime, MSU VITA leadership plans to continue tax bootcamps. “Seeing our volunteers be more confident and complete many returns was amazing,” Zheng says. “VITA is an important development program as it helps to connect future accountants. It gives them the chance to apply their knowledge and skills into tangible benefits for the community.”
Learn more and volunteer for MSU VITA at vita.msu.edu.
