TOMS RIVER – As the 2025 tax season approaches, Ocean County College is offering a new program to assist qualified individuals in the community with preparing and filing their tax returns. Beginning on February 3, accounting students trained and certified by the IRS will prepare income tax returns for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, available to underserved populations including the elderly, those who don’t speak English, or those with modest incomes.
VITA services are not only free, they are a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. Student volunteers receive training in tax law and tax software that meets or exceeds IRS standards, preparing them to assist taxpayers with filing their tax returns while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS also requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing.
The IRS has been offering the VITA program through partner sites for more than 50 years, with millions of federal and state returns prepared by volunteers each filing season. OCC President Pamela Monaco learned of the program last year and brought it to the attention of OCC’s accounting faculty, Stephanie Kroeger and Jim Hadley, who fully embraced the idea.
“They waited for the grant application period to open, did all the paperwork, and then brought the good news that we were selected,” explained Dr. Monaco. “This is a wonderful approach to serve our various constituencies while providing students the opportunity to practice their skills as they give back to others. I am particularly delighted that Professors Kroeger and Hadley reached out to students in the accounting program at Kean and will include them in this good work. It is a lot of work for our faculty, but they did not hesitate to introduce this benefit to both students and Ocean County.”
Kroeger also serves as the program’s site coordinator. “Having a VITA center on campus not only helps our community, but it also offers students hands-on experience in the accounting profession that they might not get elsewhere,” she said. “They learn to interact with taxpayers in a professional setting and prepare tax returns—valuable skills for any business professional. I’m excited for community members to see how talented, professional, and capable our students are at OCC.”
Kristopher Rose, an OCC graduate currently attending Kean, welcomes the opportunity to gain valuable skills and work experience while providing a service that helps others. “Being able to volunteer for the VITA program will allow me much-needed experience in the accounting field,” said Rose. “The biggest benefit for me, though, is contributing my time to my community. I have never been in a position to volunteer before and I look forward to helping people receive free tax preparation.”
VITA at Ocean County College will be open February 3 through April 15 on the college’s main campus in Toms River in the Hovnanian Health Sciences Building (Building #102), Room #103. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The site will be closed for President’s Day on 2/17/25.)
For more information, contact Stephanie Kroeger at VITA@ocean.edu or visit go.ocean.edu/VITA.
