University Students Lend a Hand with Taxes

University of Texas Accounting students in Austin are helping out underprivileged area residents with their taxes. Students in the Accounting Practicum class work with the Community Tax Centers for a semester to help some of Austin's most vulnerable with the complicated process of figuring out their taxes.

Students will become IRS-certified through the class and also learn some important practical skills by working directly with members of their local community. This is a great deal for the students...but it's even sweeter for those who get the help. The IRS says that $31 million in tax refunds were unclaimed just last year...

This is a pretty amazing opportunity for everyone involved. I'm super excited to see UT Austin doing things like this...and wouldn't it be great if we could see this sort of education applied across the board, in other subjects and levels? I think I'd be enjoying High School Algebra more if I had the chance to use some of what I learned in real world situations.

I thought this would be a great story to share. In many states, standardized testing and teaching for the test have become synonymous with public (High School) education...But programs like this one on the college level are inspirational and I hope more educators and legislators will recognize the value of practical education and what damage 'teaching to the test' can do.

The Daily Texan (campus newspaper for the University of Texas at Austin) had a great quote about taxes from a Marketing Junior in the class named John Poynor. He said his experiences in the course reaffirmed his appreciation for his country: “As much as we dislike paying taxes, it is a small price to pay to enjoy the freedoms we receive in return.” You don't get that kind of realization in most Accounting classes. This experience, in which students have the chance to actually get out and work with real people, makes a world of difference.

Here's a video featuring the students.