Veteran's Affairs Coordinator

College of Southern Maryland • La Plata, MD

104d

About The Position

Located 45 minutes from the Nation's Capital, nestled in a history-rich community of southern Maryland, The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) has been twice named in the top 150 community colleges by the Aspen Institute with academic programs in over 100 disciplines. CSM is among America's top 100 producers of Minority associate degrees in twenty categories, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education. CSM offers excellent health insurance benefits; State Retirement Pension plan; wellness programs; Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer; college closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year; and for several days in March for Spring Break. We are an innovative institution committed to student success and well known for our flexibility to meet student and community needs. The hiring salary for this position will be from the min to mid-point of the salary range. The individual in this position manages and monitors the colleges veteran student services; certifies students for US Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) educational benefits; provides academic program advising for veterans; and assures compliance with federal, state and college directives in relation to veteran/dependent educational benefits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Working knowledge of VA policies and procedures.
• Experience working with faculty/staff/students from post-secondary institutions.
• Knowledge of program or project planning and implementation.
• Experience developing and evaluating policies and procedures.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Analyzing data and drawing conclusions.
• Designing and conducting training programs.
• Interpreting federal regulations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software.
• Two years' experience working in a financial aid or Registrar's office in a post-secondary institution preferred.
• Knowledge of Colleague software preferred.
• Ability to conduct independent research.
• Ability to work with a diverse population with a wide variety of needs.

Nice To Haves

• Veteran preferred.
• Experience with providing academic advising on a post-secondary level.

Responsibilities

• Utilizes in-person, written and web-based information to provide information and guidance to potential students, current students, and the college community in the areas of the veterans' educational benefits and eligibility, educational objectives, and degree/vocational opportunities.
• Interprets placement test scores and advises students of course placement.
• Provides academic program advising to veteran students who are eligible to receive DVA education benefits and ensures compliance with unique DVA policies and requirements.
• Monitors student progress to ensure they continue to successfully work to complete their academic goals.
• Assists students in applying for a wide variety of DVA programs.
• Completes and updates program evaluations for students as it relates to VA.
• Prepares and reviews appropriate documentation necessary for certification of student's veterans' education entitlements to DVA benefits.
• Interprets and applies federal and state regulations to all aspects of veteran student aid.
• Ensures students continue to meet academic requirements pertaining to DVA education benefit eligibility.
• Serves as a liaison for veteran's affairs with academic division chairpersons, academic advisors, and administrative personnel; provides assistance in resolving problems in relation to veteran student issues.
• Reviews academic evaluations, enrollment, and student requirements to ensure compliance with DVA regulations and CSM policies.
• Monitors veteran students' academic progress, course enrollment, and other reporting requirements.
• Acts as a liaison between DVA Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist and disabled veterans; controls the issuance of forms used to cover educational costs.
• Ensures the college is in compliance with state and federal agencies by maintaining a thorough knowledge of veterans' affairs policies and procedures; prepares and submits reports to the appropriate federal and state entities.
• Communicates with the appropriate state and federal agencies to resolve any conflicting issues as needed.
• Coordinates annual catalog submission and program updates to DVA and MHEC/SAA.
• Coordinates annual federal and/or state audits / program reviews.
• Monitors each veteran student's academic process.
• Works with the student accounts department on the process for clearing students in overpayment status with DVA.
• Serves on internal and external committees that directly impact VA students.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state and college directives in relation to veteran/dependent educational benefits.
• Trains, supervises, and evaluates the Veterans Advisor and any VA work-study students.
• Directs the work of the Veteran's Office.
• Provides training for student services division staff and staff at all campuses regarding VA benefits.
• Meets regularly with office staff to address VA issues.
• Develops and maintains onboarding process for new veterans regarding their benefits.
• Maintains and updates the CSM Veteran's website.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Excellent health insurance benefits.
• State Retirement Pension plan.
• Wellness programs.
• Code Green early closure Fridays in the summer.
• College closure for spring break and several major holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year.
• College closure for several days in March for Spring Break.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees