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Accounting Students Volunteer to Prepare Community Tax Returns at United Way

This spring BT天堂Accounting majors participated in the Volunteer Income Tax (VITA) program at United Way of Central Arkansas (UWCA). The VITA program delivers financial support to hundreds of families across Central Arkansas through free tax preparation and filing services. Students participate in this program each year with mentorship from Dr. Ashley Phillips.

听Financial Impact听

  • 414 tax returns prepared
  • Over $440,000 returned to community members听through federal and state tax refunds
  • Over $75,000 saved in tax preparation fees
  • Serving households with a听median adjusted gross income of approximately $23,500

听Beyond the Numbers

This free service is vital for supporting individuals who might otherwise struggle to afford tax preparation or miss out on critical refunds.听 For families struggling to make ends meet, these refunds represent:

  • Relief from mounting bills
  • Critical funds for home repairs, medical expenses, or education
  • Opportunities to build emergency savings

This program delivers support precisely where it’s needed most, helping families move toward greater financial stability and self-sufficiency.

听Community Effort and Investment

听This program is a community effort. UWCA provides VITA site location, resources, financial and administrative support, along with organizing community members as intake volunteers. BT天堂Accounting department provides accounting听majors to prepare tax returns. This experience provides students with invaluable real-world experience. This hands-on training allowed students to:

  • Apply classroom knowledge to actual tax situations
  • Develop client communication skills
  • Navigate tax software and documentation requirements
  • Build professional confidence through meaningful community service

This dual-impact approach not only serves community members in need but also strengthens the professional development of future accountants, creating a powerful educational experience that textbooks alone cannot provide.

听Every dollar returned through the UWCA VITA program strengthens our local economy and enhances the financial resilience of Central Arkansas families. This vital service exemplifies how targeted support can create ripple effects of positive change throughout our communities.

Posted in: Accounting, COB News, Featured News, _Volunteer on April 17, 2025 Tagged: , , , , , ,

Dr. Yao Featured in WalletHub “Ask the Expert” Series

Dr. Yao

Dr. Haibo (Stephen) Yao

Dr. Haibo (Stephen) Yao was recently featured as an expert contributor in articles by WalletHub. While the articles are geared toward college students, these are questions many people may have.

In his first article about the best credit cards for college students, he addresses , the college students can make with credit cards, and for students who use credit cards.

In this second article, he answers questions about, including why and how they are used.

Dr. Yao is an Assistant Professor of Insurance & Risk Management in the Department of Economics, Finance, Insurance & Risk Management for the BT天堂College of Business.

Posted in: COB News on July 26, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , ,

How Can You Stay Safe From a Ransomware Attack?

Ransomware has dominated the news recently. Headline after headline reads:

  • Up to 1,500 Businesses Affected By Ransomware Attack |
  • Over 65,000 Ransomware Attacks Expected in 2021 |
  • Ransomware Group Demands $70 Million to Unlock Data |
  • FBI Warns Arkansans of Ransomware Risk |

Many of us may scroll past these news stories because we think ransomware attacks only affect large corporations, but cyber-attackers count on catching you unprepared.

According to the , “ransomware is an ever-evolving form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. Malicious actors then demand ransom in exchange for decryption.” 1

CISA continues to say that anyone with a computer or device connected to the internet or anyone with data stored on their computer, device, or network – including individuals, small businesses, large businesses, government agencies, and healthcare systems – all of these people or groups are at risk from a ransomware attack. 1

Since essentially everyone is at risk and very few of us have millions (or even hundreds) of dollars to pay to get ransomed information released, what can we do?

Dr. Geoffrey Hill, Department Chair of Computer Information Systems and Analytics in the BT天堂College of Business, has some simple advice: back up your data.

“There are many file synchronization services that are easily available to individuals or small businesses,” said Hill. The automatic synching feature makes it easy to use and guarantees that recent changes are automatically synched to the service’s cloud-based storage.”听2

Hill recognized that the synched files could include the ransomware’s encrypted files but also says that major services, such as , , or , provide file recovery and roll-back features that help you to restore individual files or even your entire file library when necessary. He cautions users to be careful when choosing a service because some of them are free while others are only available through tiered levels of paid protection plans.听2

If you don’t have one of these services, make yourself a note to try one, and if you are ever a victim of a ransomware attack, U.S. CISA recommends, “victims of ransomware should report it immediately to CISA at听, a local听, or听.”听1

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a cybersecurity professional, check out UCA’s Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity Management. With headlines like these, demand for individuals educated and trained in Computer Information Systems and Analytics will likely only increase.

Sources:

1 Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (2021, July 7).听Ransomware Guidance and Resources. Retrieved from听.

2 Hill, G. (2021, July 6). University of Central Arkansas College of Business. [Personal Interview].

Posted in: COB News on July 7, 2021 Tagged: , , , , , , , ,