Tax season is upon us and UTRGV is doing its part to make filing for students an easy process.
Students seeking assistance to prepare their tax return can find help right on campus thanks to the UTRGV Financial Aid Office and the United Way, which partnered to offer the myfreetaxes.com service. This is the second year UTRGV offers this opportunity to its students for free.
If you earn under $64,000, you can prepare your taxes for free in two ways: in person, where a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance-certified United Way tax professional can assist you; or on your own at home by using myfreetaxes.com’s self-guided step-by-step website and receive assistance by calling 1-855-698-9345.
Jael Garcia, associate director of Financial Aid Operations and community liaison, said helping students file their tax return is to ease the process.
“We know that a lot of the times, especially students, that this is the first time they’re going to do their taxes,” Garcia said. “They don’t know where to do them, they don’t know how to do them. It makes it very easy for anybody that is maybe afraid of taking it on and doing their taxes. The ones that have taken advantage of the service are very happy that it’s being offered.”
Michael Ortega, a mass communication junior, said UTRGV offering tax return assistance is a good thing.
“It’s good to know that the university gives this help because taxes can be stressful if you don’t know what to do,” Ortega said.
Many college students will be first-time filers and are encouraged to file their tax return before completing their FAFSA. Garcia said one of the reasons the university started this was to not only help students file their tax return but also to speed up the financial aid application process.
“One of the reasons this came about was because for financial aid applications, [tax returns] are needed,” Garcia said. “Students or parents needed to complete their [returns] in order to complete the financial aid application. That’s why when this opportunity came, we saw it as a logical thing; that way, students have a way to easily and freely complete their [tax returns]. Then they can do their financial aid application on time.”
Maria De Leon, a VITA site coordinator with the Untied Way of South Texas who is helping students on the Edinburg campus, said students should make sure to bring the required forms with them if seeking assistance.
“I’m here to help with any questions in regards to tax preparation,” De Leon said. “We have a list of items that they have to bring and if they bring all their documents … the process can be very quick and easy.”
To receive step-by-step help in person, bring:
–your Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
–a valid email address
–W-2, 1099 and other income forms
–last year’s tax return
–health insurance information for all household members or Form 1095
–your bank routing and account numbers
–and college 1098-T.
Tax return assistance is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until March 3 on the Edinburg campus in the Student Services Building (ESSBL 1.197) and on the Brownsville campus in Main 2.503. The deadline to file a return is April 18.
For more information on student health plans, visit utrgv.myahpcare.com or UTRGV Student Health Services at 613 N. Sugar Rd. in Edinburg or Cortez Hall 237 in Brownsville.
Individuals requiring special accommodations may email finaid@utrgv.edu.
