Howard Community College · 3 weeks ago
Associate Director of Financial Aid Services
Columbia, MD
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$79K/yr - $79K/yr
5+ years expHoward Community College (HCC) is an innovative institution committed to meeting the diverse needs of its community. The Associate Director of Financial Aid Services is responsible for overseeing the administration of financial aid programs, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, and managing a team to support students' access to financial resources.
Higher Education
No H1B
Responsibilities
Responsible for ensuring adherence to federal, state, and institutional financial aid and scholarship programs
Manages and oversees compliant administration of federal aid programs, state aid programs, institutional grant and scholarship programs and outside aid
Reconciles aid programs and internal and external reporting, including the annual IPEDs/FAIS report
Responsible for compiling the aid applicant grid and program summary for the FISAP
Ensures policies and procedures are compliant with federal and state laws and regulations and MOU requirements, and program administration is compliant with these policies
Collaborates closely with the Destination Point Administrator for COD processing for reconciliation of the federal programs and resolving student issues
Supervise the Assistant Director of Scholarships and the Assistant Director responsible for loan program administration, and is accountable for the effective, efficient, and compliant administration of these programs
Coordinates with Student Accounts for compliant disbursement of all aid funds, and is accountable for the federal reconciliation of the Pell and Loan programs, compliant administration of federal R2T4 calculations, and the reconciliation of the state aid programs
The Associate Director of Financial Aid, Program Administration and Compliance, along with the director, will be a direct contact for the annual A133 auditors and the annual Maryland State auditors
Supports the compliance of colleague processing with federal and state laws and regulations and institutional and office policies
Assists the director and other office leadership to fulfill unit responsibilities for compliance with all federal, state and institutional regulations, policies and procedures related to the administration of financial aid as well as ensuring the institution fulfills all compliance requirements
Assists the director with strategic planning, budget development, hiring and performance management, and enrollment management functions, especially those related to access and affordability, emergency preparedness; and statistical data management, including outcomes assessment
Serves as one of the college’s chief Title IV officers
As a senior member of the Financial Aid Services management team, collaborates closely with the director and the management team to identify gaps and creates automation as needed
Works closely with the team to implement new Colleague, USDOE and MHEC applications
Serves as a critical member of the testing team to develop, test, and implement technological process improvements and solutions for a wide range of office functions
Represents the director and the unit, particularly on teams, committees, organizations and other venues related to all financial aid programs and technology
Serves on behalf of the director in his/her absence
Assists the director in the development of the unit’s professional development program, unit outcomes assessment and process enhancements
This work involves considerable knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of areas and is critical to enrollment, retention, general student access for needy students, and compliance with numerous federal and state laws and regulations
This position will assist the director in designing and performing analysis of various problematic areas in the office in order to make data-based decisions for improving operations and outcomes, including cohort analyses, receivables analyses, and various tracking of outcomes for vital signs and the dashboard
In collaboration with the director, develops and maintains policies for compliant administration of the federal, state, HCCEF and institutional aid programs
Develops procedures for administering programs compliant with policy
Reconciles federal, state, HCCEF, and institutional aid programs
Reviews and resolves over-awards
Ensures effective procedures are in place to prevent over-awards and establishes safety nets are in place to identify and resolve issues in a timely manner
Administers all Maryland State award programs, as appropriate via MDCAPs and rosters, and submits all state reports accurately and in a timely manner
Prepares the office for the annual A133 and Maryland State audits and serves as the primary contact for the auditors in addition to the director
Approves all aid for disbursement via the FATR process
Oversees the management of entrance and exit loan interviews in accordance with federal regulations and keeps abreast of the latest methods of delivery
Oversees management of the default prevention program and the vendor partner to ensure that the college is supporting borrowers in repayment effectively and minimizing defaults
Oversees compliant administration of federal loan programs and federal grant programs
Oversees compliant administration of HCCEF scholarship programs
Assists the director with strategic planning and budgeting processes
Collaborates with the director to set up and implement the Colleague System for each new academic year
Responsible for testing new patches and updates to Colleague software for the Financial Aid Module
Oversees all aspects of the Financial Aid Service’s operations and leadership in the director’s absence
Collaborates as appropriate with the other associate directors with ongoing in-house staff training program and new staff training and assists the director with the development of broader professional training
Assists the director with providing training and/or updates to other college units regarding changes to federal and state laws, regulations and programs as appropriate
Represents the director at various meetings at the college and in the community
Serves on various committees across campus to ensure that federal regulations and expectations are met by the college and that the needs of financial aid students and the impact of various college programs, policies and procedures for this population are considered
Works with other Enrollment Services units, the Finance Office and other college units, as appropriate, to resolve student issues
Assists the director with reviewing, interpreting, and implementing new federal and state laws and regulations
Assist with updating the Financial Aid Services policies and procedures manual
Assists the director, and works closely with the Public Relations and Marketing unit to develop office publications
Maintains memberships and participates actively in appropriate organizations and attends conferences and regular training sessions
Collaborates closely with the director on overseeing all aspects and responsibilities of all other staff positions
Assist the director with data requests and reporting as needed
Performs other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree
5 years of experience in financial aid required with at least two years in administration
Thorough understanding of federal Title IV law and regulations
Superior technology knowledge and experience required
Proven ability to implement programs required
Superior critical thinking and data analysis required, including ability to collect, compile, and analyze information and data and produce related reports
Understanding of financial aid calculations and ratios, as well as experience with the review and evaluation of complex federal tax returns
Strong experience with using Excel for data analysis
Outstanding leadership and supervisory skills required, including the ability to work effectively as part of a team in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment required
Experience with administration of federal aid programs required
Outstanding organizational and interpersonal skills required, including customer service, public speaking, writing and the ability to communicate complex topics to a wide range of constituencies
Experience working with a wide range of units and a wide variety of staff and faculty (particularly finance and enrollment services departments) required
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality required
Regular attendance is a requirement of this job
Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Ability to learn, develop, implement, use, and train others in current and new computer applications
Knowledge of FERPA required
Extensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid laws and regulations required
Preferred
Bachelor's degree in higher education administration, business or related fields is required
Outstanding experience with COD related programs well as experience with the reconciliation and the COD reject resolution process
Expertise with Ellucian Colleague System financial aid modules or similar integrated system strongly desired
Specific interest in financial aid-related technology strongly preferred
Other outstanding technology skills, including Microsoft Office, imaging technology, the Web, Site Executive, and content management systems
Experience with Maryland State Scholarship programs strongly preferred
Prior experience in strategic planning and budget management strongly preferred
Prior experience with and participation in regional and national financial aid training workshops and conferences preferred
Benefits
Excellent medical and dental selections
Tuition reimbursement
Paid leave programs
The Pension, which requires a 7% employee contribution
The ORP, a 403(b) with a 7.25% employer contribution only
Company
Howard Community College
Since 1970, Howard Community College (HCC) has been a preferred college choice for students and families in Howard County, Maryland.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$3.46MKey Investors
U.S. Department of EducationTruist FoundationMaryland Department of Labor
2025-11-21Grant· $2.2M
2024-11-07Grant· $0.05M
2024-10-17Grant· $0.15M
Leadership Team
Minah Woo
Vice President of Workforce, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships
Alan Nettles, M.S.
ENGLISH COMPOSITION ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR
Recent News
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