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The  University Business Office (UBO) administers the Don Gardner Emergency Loan to help students in circumstances beyond their control or unforeseen expenses. For instance, if your car breaks down or you need to buy a plane ticket to attend a funeral for a family member, you can apply for a loan. All current full-time students are eligible. 


Who do I contact?

You can contact the University Business Office by emailing at ubo@jmu.edu, visiting UBO on the 5th floor of the Student Success Center, or by calling 540-568-6505 and they will assist you. 


What is the maximum loan? 

The maximum loan is $1,000. 


How do I receive the loan?

The funds are distributed through a student’s BankMobile Disbursements refund preference. 


How long do I have to repay the loan?

 The loan must be repaid within 90 days or by the end of the semester, whichever comes first. If the loan is not repaid on time, there is interest, but none is assessed during the original period. 

Through Financial Aid and Scholarships you can: 

  • Learn what options for aid may be available to you
  • Apply for aid, scholarships, and grants
  • Manage your aid 

Financial Aid has a lot of great resources and information on the Financial Aid website. You can also contact Financial Aid by emailing at fin_aid@jmu.edu, visiting Financial Aid on the 5th floor of the Student Success Center, or by calling 540-568-7820. 

James Madison University College of Business students and faculty will offer free tax return preparation services to members of the community with annual household incomes up to $65,000.

The services this year will be by appointment. Appointments can be scheduled at https://jmutax.setmore.com

Assistance is available by calling 540-568-7776 and leaving a message or by emailing vita@jmu.edu.

This will be the eighth year for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and, as always, there are tax law changes for 2022 tax returns.

“Many tax laws were changed during 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. Some of these laws were not extended for 2022, and this can make a difference in 2022 tax return results,” said Irana Scott, an accounting professor and the site administrator for the JMU VITA program. “We understand these changes and want to help taxpayers file accurate and complete returns.”

Following are a few changes that may affect taxpayers.

  • There are higher standard deductions for 2022.
  • The $300 charitable contribution deduction for individuals who did not itemize in 2021 cannot be deducted in 2022. This law was not extended.
  • The earned income tax credit (EITC) may reduce taxes of low- and middle-income workers earning up to $59,187 in 2022. This is based on filing status and number of dependents.
  • The Child Tax Credit returns to the levels in 2019. For example, the maximum credit of $3,600 in 2021 will be $2,000 in 2022.
  • The Child and Dependent Care credit returns to a maximum of $2,100 in 2022. The maximum in 2021 was $8,000. 

Last year, the JMU VITA program assisted more than 400 taxpayers.

More information about the program is available at: https://www.jmu.edu/cob/accounting/vita.shtml

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