Accounting students from Niagara University’s College of Business Administration were honored with a national award for preparing the most tax returns in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The award was given at the annual meeting of Beta Alpha Psi in San Jose, Ca., Aug. 5-7. NU students prepared 558 tax returns for low-income and elderly taxpayers in the Niagara Falls area.

The Internal Revenue Service presented the awards to Rochelle Greek, president of Niagara University's Lambda Chi chapter of Beta Alpha Psi. Also representing Niagara at the conference were Beta Alpha Psi member Daniel Montante and Dr. Kathy Ho, chair of Niagara University’s accounting department.

The VITA program offers free tax help to low-income and elderly people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified student volunteers sponsored by Niagara University receive training to help prepare basic tax returns on campus and in the local community. The students provide free electronic filing of federal and state tax returns, including direct bank deposit of tax refunds. This year, taxpayers in the Niagara Falls community received $632,000 in federal refunds and $128,000 in state refunds.

Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary organization for financial information students and professionals. The primary objective of Beta Alpha Psi is to encourage and give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field, and to promote a sense of ethical, social and public responsibility. Founded in 1919, Beta Alpha Psi has more than 300,000 members in 289 chapters on college and university campuses around the world.