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Free tax assistance for Willimantic community

Student tax preparers serve through VITA program

by Kyle Berson

Willimantic, CT (02/19/2026) — Eastern Connecticut State University College of Business students are providing cost-free tax preparation services to local community members through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). The program offers free tax preparation services through mid-April for low- to moderate-income households.

The VITA program is available to households making less than $69,000 annually.

  • Location: Windham Heights Learning Center, 70 Boston Post Road, Willimantic, CT 06226.
  • Hours: Saturdays, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Appointments: Visit uwc.211ct.org/taxhelp/ or call (800) 2031234 to schedule an appointment.
  • Languages: English, Spanish.

Willimantic's VITA program is a collaboration between Eastern's Small Business Resource Center, The Village, and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. A team of 18 student volunteers is staffing the program, applying accounting and financial knowledge learned in class to help families maximize their tax savings.

"The VITA program helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice in the real world," said site coordinator and accounting Professor Chelagat Misiko. "Students learn what it really means to be in the work environment. They work as a team with reviewers and program coordinators with a goal to ease the financial burden on low-income taxpayers."

To volunteer in the program, students were required to complete a VITA training and certification program.

According to Eric Harrison, president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, more than 40% of Connecticut households face working or extreme poverty, and tax savings from VITA often get reinvested in local businesses and communities.

Press Contacts

  • Please contact Michael Rouleau, public relations officer, for interviews: rouleam@easternct.edu

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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