Financial Aid Program Specialist

Renton Technical College•3000 NE 4th Street Renton, WA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Renton Technical College is seeking a Financial Aid Program Specialist! This role is responsible for providing direct services to students while also maintaining the operations and processes for institutional, federal, state, tribal, and other agency-funded financial aid programs. The Financial Aid Program Specialist is represented by the Renton Professional Technical Association (Prof-Tech) union. This is a full-time, classified, and overtime eligible position reporting to the Associate Dean of Student Funding.

Requirements

Experience with persons from diverse backgrounds such as sexual orientation, racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, gender, age, socio-economic, physical and learning abilities, and a commitment to an inclusive and equitable working / learning environment.
Two years of experience in financial aid, student funding and/or other related transferable skills.
Associate degree required.
Ability to demonstrate high skill levels in extracting and analyzing data, generating reports, and applying fund reconciliation and basic accounting principles.
Knowledge of PeopleSoft, BankMobile (BMTX), Washington Student Achievements Council (WSAC) portal, Common Origination and Disbursements (COD), National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), Federal Aid Administrator Access (FAA Access) to Central Processing System (CPS Online), and other similar programs.
Strong organizational skills, the ability to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks, the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and handle multiple interruptions while completing multiple tasks.
Knowledge of computers and software, especially Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Booking, Forms etc.), Zoom and other software and application programs.
Demonstrated ability to promote universal design and accessibility.
Proficiency in (or ability to learn within 6 month of hire) the production of accessible content, whether print or electronic.
Ability to represent the college in a positive and professional manner, while using tact, discretion and courtesy.
Must not be in default on any student loans

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree is preferred or equivalent education and relevant professional experience / credentials.
Ability to speak a regionally top spoken language other than English is preferred (Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese).

Responsibilities

Serve as the liaison for AmeriCorps, King County Promise, Early Achievers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) / Aerospace Career Enhancement (ACE) Childcare, and other agency-funded programs by coordinating program operations, processes, and services, while maintaining effective communication and collaboration with students, partners, and stakeholders.
Provide administrative and technical support for Veteran Services operations by assisting with VA certifications and data entry, maintaining vouchers, records and documentation, responding to student inquiries, supporting outreach events, and ensuring compliance with audit and regulatory requirements.
Provide support for student funding operations, including Work-Study, Renton Promise, and other funding programs and resources, by coordinating processes, assisting students, maintaining records, and ensuring timely communication and service delivery.
Support operational processes by maintaining accurate financial aid records, resolving data discrepancies and potential fraud concerns, collaborating with campus departments, ensuring data integrity, and facilitating timely student communications and aid delivery.
Determine eligibility and award financial aid based on policies and regulatory requirements while adhering to federal and state regulations and institutional policies and compliance regulations.
Analyze student records in multiple databases, including Financial Aid, Enrollment Service, Student Academic, Student Financial, and other in-house, state, and federal databases.
Complete the financial aid verification process, which includes but is not limited to citizenship, residency, assets, federal IRS taxes, obtain documentation, resolve discrepancies, and make the necessary changes and adjustments.
Conduct student federal aid identity verification and analyze fraudulent record process and collaborate with other departments and CTC colleges to maintain timely status updates and reporting requirements.
Work with the SBCTC ctcLink (PeopleSoft) support team, other departments, and institutions to maintain the system configuration/setup for Student Group/Attribute, Service Indicators, and Item Type to assure the integrity of program coding and school reporting requirements.
Package student aid, process award adjustments, authorization, disbursement, student refund, and repayment and maintain funding reconciliation.
Evaluate Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and perform professional judgment independently for extenuating and change of circumstances that students/family encounter, audit students record and maintain institutional compliance and Risk-based survey duties.
Track, monitor, and process student records in accordance with program requirements and state and federal regulations, while supporting key financial aid functions such as BankMobile (BMX), ctcLink Service Indicators, Drop for Non-Payment (DNP), Suspend ISIR, Transfer Student Monitoring, and financial aid record updates.
Serve as a support resource for the departmental, Work-Study, Veterans, Agency Funding, and Renton Promise email accounts, monitoring inquiries and coordinating timely responses.
Provide support to students by addressing funding-related issues by interpreting federal and state financial aid regulations, recommending solutions, facilitating completion of the funding application process, and facilitating warm handoffs to assigned faculty counselors and other student support resources to promote student success.
Provide individualized student and public services via multiple platforms including but not limited to virtual, email, phone, and in-person, with excellent customer service skills focused on bringing racial equity and social justice equity lenses.
Serve as a departmental team member by demonstrating cultural competency and a commitment to equity, supporting students from diverse backgrounds, recognizing and helping mitigate systemic barriers, and providing inclusive, student-centered service.
Maintain the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and respect the privacy/confidentiality of individuals.
Collaborate with staff across campus to provide enrollment support during new student intake and activities to promote and implement student retention initiatives that enhance persistence and completion.
Facilitate statewide FAFSA/WASFA completions and financial literacy workshops through campus-wide and community-centered outreach efforts and presentations.
Demonstrated commitment to fostering and supporting a discussion, teaching, learning and working environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Apply equitable tools and tactics learned from numerous training opportunities in your daily work.
Other duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of the department and the college.