Coordinator, Financial Aid Scholarships

Community College of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Community College of Philadelphia seeks a Coordinator, Financial Aid Scholarships to administer scholarship programs and PA State Grant special programs, liaising with students, departments, and external sponsors. This role leads scholarship workflows, ensures eligibility, and maintains accurate disbursement records while assisting with related financial aid workshops.

Responsibilities include coordinating year-end closings, maintaining sponsor communications, updating the Promise Scholarship

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required from a recognized accreditor.
• Two (2) years’ experience in student financial aid processing required.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and the Internet required.
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills required.
• Ability to manage high volumes of work with accuracy and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work with diverse populations and collaborate in a team.

Responsibilities

• Administer PA State Grant Special Programs and other scholarships; oversee program eligibility and certifications.
• Coordinate year end closing for all programs with the Controller’s Office.
• Oversee scholarship disbursements and ensure accurate postings in the system; adjust aid as needed.
• Coordinate communication with sponsoring agencies and applicants about scholarship information.
• Develop and update procedures for awarding and disbursement; train staff as needed.
• Support FAFSA workshops and counsel students on financial aid eligibility.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Teamwork

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree from a recognized accreditor

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Internet

Job description

Reporting to the Manager of Financial Aid Programs, the Coordinator, Financial Aid Scholarships is responsible for the administration of various scholarship programs available at the College and assists with the administration of the PA State Grant Special Programs and outside State Grants. This position serves as functional lead for scholarship programs and interacts with students and various College departments, outside agencies and other sponsoring institutions. The Coordinator, Financial Aid Scholarships also serves as a backup to other Financial Aid Specialists, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Administer all financial aid aspects of PA State Grant Special Programs including EAP, RTSS, Path, PA-Tip, Chafee, Fostering Independence, and other programs; completing reconciliations and year end close processes.
• Coordinate year end closing for all programs with the Controller’s Office.
• Manages the manual bookstore credit process for the Financial Aid Office by reviewing requests and updating the Bookstore daily of requests to be processed.
• Oversees all financial aid aspects of internal and external scholarships, Job Corps, and AmeriCorps, ensuring program eligibility as well as program certifications; serves as a direct contact for each agency.
• Ensures eligibility requirements are met and that awards are accurately posted to the system; adjusting other aid when required and returning excess funds to the correct funding source.
• Establishes and maintains an effective communication process for the dissemination of information regarding scholarships and state programs; including follow-up communications to all applicants and sponsoring agencies and institutions.
• Responsible for the oversight of the Promise Scholarship, also known as the 50th Scholarship Award, including managing cohorts of students, to determine initial and continuous eligibility as well as developing and distributing email communications.
• Develops and distributes email communications and Welcome Letters annually in partnership and collaboration with the Director of Marketing.
• Ensures the Promise website is current and that any required updates from Institutional Advancement and College Donors are accurately reflected.
• Completes reconciliation processes in Banner at the end of each semester to verify Promise award disbursements.
• Attends meetings and maintains effective relationships with other departments (i.e., Student Tuition Services, Finance, Counseling, Institutional Advancement, Nursing Department, Admissions, etc.) to discuss grant and scholarship programs to ensure the success of the scholarship and state programs.
• Participates in the scholarship selection process, special projects, orientations, workshops and Scholarship Committees as needed.
• Initiates and completes requests for new scholarship fund codes in Banner, and establishes new scholarship programs after the fund codes are created.
• Develops and documents standard operating procedures to ensure accurate and timely awarding, adjustments and disbursements of scholarships and state programs; train additional staff, as needed, to assist during peak periods.
• Collaborates with Institutional Advancement and the Student Tuition Services Office in posting and removing holds on student accounts in Banner and managing selection sets.
• Assists with FAFSA and other financial aid workshops as needed.
• Counsel prospective students, continuing students, parents and families regarding the financial aid application process and eligibility for Federal and State aid.
• Assists the department with verification, summer aid processing, state grants and quality control initiatives.
• Coordinate Banner setup for scholarships and state programs, resource and exemption processing.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to confidentiality, accuracy and quality of work.
• Adhere to FERPA regulations as they pertain to maintaining the security and confidentiality of all student records, as well as maintain the confidentiality of other documents on behalf of the work area and the College.
• Perform assigned duties in a manner consistent with the mission, goals and core values of the College.
• Maintain sensitivity, understanding and respect for a diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of varying social, economic, cultural, ideological, and ethnic backgrounds.
• Deliver quality customer services to both internal and external constituents in a professional, helpful and courteous manner.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Any and all degrees must be from a recognized institutional accreditor.
• Two (2) years’ experience in student financial aid processing required.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and the Internet required.
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills in all media (phone, face to face and email) required to effectively communicate with students, the general public, and College staff and faculty is required.
• Ability to demonstrate a positive attitude towards daily challenges and ability to process high volumes of work with accuracy required.
• Ability to manage multiple, simultaneous priorities and meet deadlines required.
• Ability to maintain sensitivity, understanding and respect for a diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of varying social, economic, cultural, ideological, and ethnic backgrounds required.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively as a member of a team required.
• Ability to demonstrate exceptional service to internal and external customers required.
• Ability to work extended hours as needed, including evenings and Saturdays; occasional travel to Regional Centers may be required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience processing scholarships is preferred.
• Experience with Banner or other enterprise-wide system preferred.
• Experience in, and appreciation for, a collective bargaining environment is preferred.