Senior Financial Aid Compliance Specialist Overview: This position administers and coordinates a variety of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs while ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. Responsibilities include identifying and awarding eligible students, reconciling funds, and monitoring academic progress and eligibility. The role collaborates with internal departments and external agencies, supports audit and compliance processes, and maintains accurate records. Additionally, the position provides guidance to students and contributes to scholarship initiatives and departmental operations. Essential Duties: - Manage federal programs including AmeriCorps awards, consortium agreements, agency request forms, citizenship verification (including SAVE), and Selective Service compliance updates.
- Oversee Ohio College Opportunity Grant programs, identifying eligible students (including veterans and foster youth) and ensuring compliance with residency, SAP, and Selective Service requirements.
- Administer multiple Ohio state aid programs (War Orphans, Safety Officers, National Guard) with responsibilities for awarding, reconciliation, eligibility monitoring, and compliance.
- Coordinate the Ohio Nurse Education Assistance Loan Program, including application promotion, eligibility tracking, fund reconciliation, and monitoring enrollment and major requirements.
- Support additional state programs (Work Ready, Governor’s Merit, GEAR UP, Adoption Grant, Choose Ohio First) by managing awards, monitoring eligibility, and ensuring compliance standards.
- Conduct the Ohio Annual Audit by gathering extensive student documentation, reviewing files for compliance, and submitting finalized reports within strict deadlines.
- Process and manage specialized programs such as Ohio ETV and Short-Term Certificate Grants, including eligibility verification and fund reconciliation.
- Assist with institutional scholarships by supporting application processes and developing student engagement initiatives like promotional campaigns and materials.
- Administer internal programs (Be Great, Be Great Butler Tech, Two Great Techs) by identifying eligible students, awarding funds, maintaining cohorts, and communicating program updates.
- Contribute to default management efforts, staff development, and core financial aid functions including verification, professional judgment, SAP monitoring, and consortium agreements.
- Utilizes federal methodology need analysis criteria to review and evaluate financial aid applications and determine accuracy, completeness and financial need level. Must maintain confidentiality throughout the process.
- Contributes to the outreach efforts of the office and college for either new or continuing students. Outreach efforts range from presentations to small or large groups on or off campus, workshops or representing the college at varying events as necessary.
- Collaborates with Director to interpret federal regulations, policy interpretation, and creation of updated policies and review unusual, confidential, and complicated or problem applications, petitions or requests with the director.
- Assists new and continuing students with student service processes necessary for admission, matriculation and graduation.
- Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Director or Director.
Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in financial aid, student services, accounting, or a related administrative role
- Basic knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations (e.g., Title IV programs)
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy in recordkeeping
- Experience working with databases or student information systems (e.g., Datatel/Colleague and ImageNow)
- At least 2 years of experience using financial aid and education systems, including federal platforms such as CPS, COD, NSLDS, R2T4, G5, and the National Student Clearinghouse.
- Ability to handle confidential information with integrity and discretion
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications: - Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Business, or a related field
- At least five 5 years of direct experience in financial aid administration in a higher education setting
- In-depth knowledge of federal financial aid regulations and compliance requirements
- Experience with financial aid management systems
- Experience with fund reconciliation, auditing processes, or compliance reporting
- Familiarity with academic progress standards (SAP) and eligibility monitoring
- Demonstrated experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and external agencies
- Customer service experience working directly with students or diverse population
- Experience supporting scholarship programs or institutional aid initiatives
Desired Competencies: - Strong understanding of federal and state financial aid regulations with the ability to interpret and apply policies accurately
- Ability to manage multiple aid programs simultaneously, including awarding, reconciliation, and eligibility monitoring
- Capacity to evaluate complex student situations, identify discrepancies, and make sound decisions
- High level of accuracy in processing, auditing, and maintaining compliant records
- Ability to prepare for and support audits, ensuring documentation and processes meet regulatory standards
- Works effectively with internal departments and external partners
- Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Ability to adjust to regulatory changes, new systems, and evolving program requirements
- Proactively identifies process improvements and contributes to departmental effectiveness
Details: Reports To: Assistant Director, Financial Aid Compensation: $27.66/hr. Contract Affiliation: SEIU Paygrade 20 Classification: Non-Exempt Status: Full-Time Benefits Include: - Medical Insurance (PPO- employer covers up to 92% of the premium, HDHP- employer covers 100% of the premium)
- Dental Insurance (employer covers 100% of the premium)
- Vision Insurance - NO WAITING PERIODS! Medical, Vision and Dental benefits are effective from day one of employment!
- Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account (employer contributions) • Short-Term Disability: Offering 60% of your salary
- Life Insurance and AD&D Insurance (employer paid)
- Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness and Accident: Optional at employee expense
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Assistance Plan for employees, spouse and dependents
- Tuition Waiver for employees, spouse and dependents
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Free parking
- 10 annual paid holidays in addition to generous paid time off options including vacation, sick, personal leave, and winter season days.
- Employees at Cincinnati State qualifies for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Retirement: As a Cincinnati State employee, and an employee of an Ohio public institution, you will not contribute to the Federal Social Security system. Instead, our employees will contribute to a State Retirement Plan (SERS or STRS) or an Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP): 403B and/or Deferred Compensation Program 457 Plan. Statement Of Committment: - The institution declares that it will educate students by means of free, open, and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth.
- The institution declares that its duty is to equip students with the opportunity to develop the intellectual skills they need to reach their own, informed conclusions.
- The institution declares its commitment to not requiring, favoring, disfavoring, or prohibiting speech or lawful assembly.
- The institution declares it is committed to create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth, and tolerates the differences in opinion that naturally occur in a public higher education community.
- The institution declares that its duty is to treat all faculty, staff, and students as individuals, to hold them to equal standards, and to provide them equality of opportunity, with regard to those individuals' race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
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