Financial Aid Specialist

Salary: $58,000.00 - $63,945.00 Annually
Location : 9101 E Lowry Blvd Denver, CO
Job Type: Professional/Tech Full-time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: GJA-299722-10032024-LAD
Department: CCCS Academic & Student Affairs
Division: CCCS Financial Aid
Opening Date: 10/14/2024
Closing Date: 10/27/2024 11:59 PM Mountain
Department Contact Information: Nikki
Description
The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is hiring a Financial Aid Specialist to join our Financial Aid team at the System Office. If you're looking to join a supportive team doing work that positively impacts students across the state, this position may be for you! We offer generous time off accruals, , and flexible work schedules, including remote work within the state of Colorado.
Examples of Duties
In this position you'll review financial aid applications for accuracy and compliance within the awarding of federal and state financial aid funds. You'll also serve as a liaison and chair for at least one functional area on a systemwide Financial Aid committee. This position collaborates with the college Financial Aid Service Centers to provide the highest quality of service to students, their families, faculty, staff, and the community.
Duties Include:

• Independently review student financial aid application files and documents for completeness, accuracy, and regulatory compliance and determine if additional information is needed to process the application.
• Independently review and evaluate student enrollment activity then calculate the required Return of Title IV funds if applicable.
• Serve as liaison to college Financial Aid Service Centers to facilitate communication, provide feedback on status of financial aid applications, and make any necessary corrections and packaging to award funds from various program sources including grants, loans, and work-study.
• Advise, educate, and collaborate with Financial Aid staff throughout CCCS Colleges in the development of processes and/or policies related to compliance requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree. An equivalent combination of education and/or experience may substitute on a year for year basis for the Bachelor's degree.
• Experience processing financial aid applications.

Supplemental Information
Attributes that will contribute to success in this position, some of which may be learned on the job:

• Knowledge of financial aid rules and regulations.
• Knowledge of Return to Title IV Funds regulations and processes.
• Customer service, technical communication and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Knowledgeable in using Ellucian Banner financial aid software.
• Detail oriented.
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external audiences.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, cooperative, and cordial working relationships internally and externally.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to problem solve and to creatively "think out of the box."
• Ability to efficiently handle multiple priorities and tasks.
• Willingness to acquire additional related duties and responsibilities, as necessary.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Self-directed and highly organized.
• Strong analytical skills.

Work Location/Travel Expectations :

• This position is located at 9101 East Lowry Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230.
• Some travel to CCCS colleges may be required as needed.
• Alternative Work Arrangements, including flexible schedules and hybrid-remote work, may be available. All work must be completed in the state of Colorado.

The Colorado Community College System is the state's largest provider of higher education and workforce training, consisting of 13 colleges and over 35 locations across the state, educating approximately 113,000 students annually. In addition, we train more than 4,000 Coloradans each year through customized employer training programs. Our mission is to provide accessible, responsive learning environments where students can achieve their educational, professional and personal goals in an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity and innovation. We are an organization that encourages individuals to bring their whole selves to work.
CCCS believes when all human qualities are regarded with dignity and respect and when everyone has access to the individualized support they need, all will have the opportunity to thrive. In all aspects of the employment process, decisions are made based on merit, competence, performance and business need without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, military status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Note: per the , an applicant may redact information from their resume, cover letter, and/or transcripts that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. If your position requires us to review an official transcript, without redacting, we will request one as part of our conditional offer process. In order to evaluate work experience against established requirements for positions, we are still requesting dates of service (month and year) for positions in the applicant's work history.
A career at the Colorado Community College System's administrative office comes with great perks. Whether you are responsible for strategic System leadership or provide high quality administrative and technical support, you will reap a rewarding experience being a part of an enterprise which assists thousands of students to elevate their lives each year. Our System Office culture emphasizes and celebrates professionalism in performance of jobs and diversity in our workforce. Our focus on outcomes rather than tasks is supported with flexible work arrangements, and the expectation that our employees perform best when they are engaged and enjoy a degree of autonomy in how they approach the delivery of quality work product. You will admire the friendly culture of our system office and be inspired by our team environment and dedicated employees.
We offer the following benefits:

• Our employees stay because of the work/life balance they are able to obtain at the System Office. This includes generous leave benefits:
  • Administrator/Professional-Technical (APT) positions earn 15 hours of annual leave and 10 hours of sick leave each month - based on fulltime status.
  • Classified employees earn generous levels of annual and sick leave based on their years of service.
  • CCCS employees receive 11 paid holidays per year, many of which are observed between December 25th through January 1st.
  • CCCS employees have leave available for a variety of additional personal needs such as academic/volunteer activities, bereavement, public health emergencies, and more.

Many positions are eligible for alternate work arrangements that may include flexible schedules and/or working remotely within Colorado.

CCCS offers comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans with considerable employer contributions. We also offer employer-paid life insurance. For a complete overview of our benefits, visit our

CCCS employees are eligible for Federal Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness. For more information, go to the website.

As a CCCS employee, you have an opportunity to become a lifelong-learner and enjoy considerable savings for the college education of you and your dependents through our tuition reimbursement program.

We offer retirement savings through via our defined benefit or defined contribution plans. CCCS employees are also eligible to participate in a robust set of supplemental retirement options such as a 401K, 457, and/or 403b.

All state employees are eligible to participate in , which offers discounts for retailers and services and other benefits resources.

CCCS offers employee assistance services to you and your household members at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (). Available services include counseling, professional coaching, webinars, mediation, financial assistance, and more.