Strengthening financial security through tax preparation and education
With an economic impact of more than $2 million, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program — supported by Purdue Extension in partnership with the IRS and other organizations — is delivering critical financial literacy and tax preparation services across counties in Indiana.
Vanessa Tijerina, associate professor of accounting at Anderson University (AU), has seen the impact of the VITA program on those in her community. Tijerina began as a volunteer with VITA and later became a site coordinator. For years, AU managed the site on its own. But Tijerina says workloads have increased over the past few years, and the level of work was no longer sustainable. They began searching for partners.
Enter Purdue Extension, which stepped in to help coordinate and provide financial education so that the work that many had come to rely on could continue.
For example, through Extension education, clients learned how to understand and adjust their W-4 forms. This simple but powerful step enables individuals to avoid owing taxes at year-end or depending on large refunds, improving financial stability throughout the year.
“We've had a lot of repeat people we have served over the years,” Tijerina says. “A high percentage of our clients who come to us are retired and do not have any comfort level with technology. They're on fixed incomes without the ability to pay to get their taxes done. The VITA program also has been a wonderful opportunity for our students to get hands-on learning experience while serving our community.”
Cheryl Graham, VITA tax site coordinator for United Way of Howard and Tipton counties, speaks to the benefit of the increased grant in 2025 and the partnership with Extension.
We wouldn't have been able to continue the VITA program at AU without Purdue Extension's partnership. The role they have played in our work is critical. They have worked to ensure that we can serve every potential client from our community. I'm very excited about the future with Purdue and the foundation of collaboration that we can grow on.”
- Vanessa Tijerina, associate professor of accounting at Anderson University
“The IRS VITA grant allowed us to get the resources we needed to serve a larger group of people and better support our volunteer process,” Graham says. “In 2025, we helped 24% more people. We could not have done that without the grant.
“Partnering with Purdue Extension also brought additional educational opportunities for our clients, so they better understand their options as taxpayers.”
Tijerina and Graham both look forward to future collaboration with Purdue Extension to serve Indiana residents through financial literacy and helping them achieve financial wellness.
Footnotes
*Estimate based on 1,653 federal tax returns that Extension assisted in filing
Program Impact
- Total economic impact: $2,658,785.00
- Federal returns prepared: 1,653
- State returns filed: 779
- Federal refund amount: $1.67 million
- Average refund: $919
- Total savings: $661,200 in tax prep fees (based on $250–$400 average preparation fee per return)
- 80% of participants also received financial education through additional Purdue Extension programs
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