For more than a decade, students of the bachelor of business administration program at Grenfell Campus have been giving back to the community by offering free income tax services to individuals with modest incomes.

The Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, an initiative of the Canada Revenue Agency, was recruiting volunteers in 2014. Prof Lynn Kendall, an accountant and instructor in the School of Arts and Social Science at Grenfell Campus, had previously volunteered with the program and recognized it as a valuable way for students to get hand-on experience while playing an important role in the community.

In different ways throughout the years, this program has supported specific course learning objectives, but it has grown to include students who are interested in volunteering in the community and providing an essential service.

“Students learn and benefit from this opportunity for applied learning,” said Prof. Kendall. “It allows university students to interact directly with the community and to share their knowledge. At the same time, the community benefits from access to this service. It is a reciprocal relationship that we are fortunate to be able to foster.

“Students choose to return repeatedly as volunteer, even following graduation, and many clients sign up every year. The program has great value.”

Riley Lockyer, a third-year student who transferred from College of the North Atlantic, said the experience has been especially rewarding. Lockyer noted that filing taxes for individuals with varying circumstances, income sources and deductions can be complex, and gaining exposure to these situations is an important part of the learning process. He plans to pursue a career in auditing after graduation.

“It is pretty sweet to be able to help out a whole family who would have to pay out of pocket to have their taxes filed,” he said. “This is a great skill to have.”

During a recent session, Services Canada representatives were also on hand to help clients and volunteers become aware of federal programs and benefits for which they are eligible.

Saman Sisan, also a third-year student, welcomed the opportunity to volunteer and learn about preparing income tax return.

“I am gaining valuable experience and what I am learning here is aligning with my interest in banking,” he said.