Associate Director of Financial Aid and State Compliance

Frederick Community College; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision plans

Tuition waiver

Tuition reimbursement

Generous leave benefits

Retirement plans

Job summary

Frederick Community College invites applications for the Associate Director of Financial Aid and State Compliance. This leadership role manages state, foundation, and external financial aid, oversees disbursement, reporting, and reconciliation, and ensures MHEC aid eligibility compliance.

You will supervise Financial Aid customer service, outreach, and scholarship staff, work with diverse constituencies, and help support enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience leading financial aid operations and staff.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations.
• Ability to develop internal policies and webpages.
• Excellent oral and written communication.
• Strategic planning to support enrollment and completion goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial aid leadership team and act on behalf of the Director.
• Oversee scholarship awarding, disbursement, and reconciliation.
• Ensure audits and compliance with MHEC and federal requirements.
• Develop and review Financial Aid Procedures Manual.
• Prepare reports to analyze program effectiveness.

Skills

Leadership

Compliance

Audits

Reporting

Team supervision

Job description

At Frederick Community College we proudly serve the educational needs of our students, help develop the economic vitality of our local communities, and enrich the lives of Frederick County residents. Each year, more than 16, 000 students take a diverse scope of courses at Frederick Community College, located in Frederick, Maryland. Our vast range of courses includes quality instruction in more than 85 degree and certificate programs as well as workforce training and continuing education to meet the needs and interests of our community members. FCC proudly embraces and showcases academics, arts, athletics and more to provide pathways to success for all students. Each year we provide direct service to thousands of residents and indirect services to countless more. We credit our ability to deliver these services to the strength and commitment of our people. We invite you to explore all that we have to offer!

Relocation Provided?: No

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Financial Aid and State Compliance is responsible for state, foundation, and external financial aid and scholarship fund management and manages the disbursement process, reporting, and reconciliation of all state grants and scholarships. This role ensures compliance regarding the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) aid eligibility. This position requires excellent time management, customer service, and organizational skills, uses critical thinking to solve problems, and can perform all aspects of the role with minimal supervision. The Associate Director is responsible for supervision of Financial Aid customer service, outreach, and scholarship awarding staff and may serve as second in command to the Director of Financial Aid. This position has exceptional oral and written communication skills, supports the enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives at the College, and must work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community and use varying styles and approaches that reflect an understanding and acceptance of the role of culture in a diverse, multicultural workplace.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

These duties are intended only as examples of the various types of job duties to be performed. The omission of the specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is a similar, related, or logical assignment to the position. The following are the functions essential to performing this job in addition to other duties as assigned.

Supervision and Team Leadership

1. Serve as part of the Financial Aid leadership team, exercising discretion and making independent judgments and decisions in support of the Financial Aid Office and Federal Student Aid, and act on behalf of the Director of Financial Aid in their absence.
2. Provide direct supervision, training, and leadership to the outreach and customer service team.
3. Set clear goals and performance expectations, conduct regular performance evaluations, and offer professional development opportunities.

Audit and Compliance

1. Ensure adherence to all relevant federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.
2. Lead internal and external audits related to financial aid programs.
3. Develop and implement corrective actions in response to audit findings.
4. Maintain, interpret, and ensure compliance information within policies and procedures as it relates to federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs and regulations.
5. Develop and review wording and content for financial aid webpages, student communications, and social media messaging.
6. Support the review and updating of the Financial Aid Procedures Manual.

Scholarship Awarding and Management

1. Supervise the process of awarding scholarships, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with donor stipulations.
2. Oversee the accurate and timely processing of financial aid applications, verification, awarding of aid packages, and reconciliation of state aid.
3. Generate and analyze reports to track the effectiveness of financial aid programs and identify areas for improvement.

Maryland State Aid Administration

1. Manage the administration of Maryland state financial aid programs, including the processing of applications, disbursements, and reporting requirements.
2. Determine and override complex and unique issues by exercising professional judgment as allowed by the U.S. Department of Education and MHEC.
3. Maintain records to send and receive files from the MHEC MDCAP system.
4. Work with Student Accounts to review student refund batches to ensure Title IV, State, and institutional compliance before release of funds.

Salary: $90,000 - $102,000 annually

FCC offers a generous benefits package which includes medical insurance, dental and vision plans, waiver of FCC tuition for employee and eligible dependents, tuition reimbursement, generous leave benefits, retirement plans, and more! Frederick Community College prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in its activities, admissions, educational programs, and employment. Frederick Community College, an equal opportunity employer, values campus diversity in students and staff and encourages members from historically under-represented groups to apply.