Financial Aid Advisor - Internal Posting

Job Description

About Us:

Founded in 1968 to meet the post-secondary and continuing education needs of Cecil County residents, Cecil College has been serving the community and shaping its future for more than 50 years. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the governor. The College's fifth president, Dr. Mary Way Bolt, reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

Cecil College is centrally located in Maryland's most northeastern county, just one half mile from Interstate 95. It is easily accessible from Philadelphia and Baltimore, as well as from Wilmington, Delaware.

With a diverse student population, Cecil College enrolls approximately 2,500 credit students and 3,400 non-credit students. Cecil offers associate degrees, certificate programs and non-credit classes. Cecil offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs.

Through its open admissions policy, Cecil College provides learning opportunities for all who have the desire and ability to benefit from its courses and programs, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status.

Employees of Cecil College, including instructors for online and virtual courses, must be residents of Maryland or the contiguous states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US, as the College does not offer Visa sponsorships.

JOB SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Advisor will have responsibility for the Direct Loan program, including processing loan applications, evaluating funding levels, assisting graduating borrowers, and managing default prevention process. The Advisor will manage the Maryland state aid programs including roster processing and reconciliation. This role is responsible for the administration and reconciliation of multiple financial aid programs and must adhere to the applicable federal, state, and college regulations and practices to perform essential processing. These responsibilities will necessitate the use of various software and web-based applications specific to financial aid operations. The Advisor is accountable for Title IV Program compliance and held to strict ethical practices in the administration and processing of federal, state and College financial aid programs.

Due to the need for interaction with students, employees, and college community, this position requires in-person presence but is eligible for telework: positions with back-up duties require consistent on-site presence; telework may be available to certain roles on a limited basis to best meet the needs of the department.

THIS IS AN INTERNAL POSTING

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Counsel parents and students regarding availability of financial aid funding, eligibility requirements and the application process.
• Conduct workshops on completing the financial aid application for prospective, new, and enrolled students on a regularly scheduled rotation.
• Act as back-up to part-time staff in covering front office during working hours, as needed and as directed by supervisor and/or designee.
• Provide leadership for the financial aid work-study staff to include hiring and supervision, on a rotating basis.
• Review student financial aid applications and perform federal verification on selected records, resolve conflicting information and C coded records.
• Evaluate special circumstance requests and make a relatively assured determination that changing and reprocessing financial (FAFSA) data to the federal processor is within program statute.
• Review Census Report data to determine proper Direct Loan and Maryland state aid funding levels for students, and make adjustments or cancellations, as necessary.Review Direct Loan Acceptance Forms and post loan awards in accordance with student requests, College policy, and Title IV regulations.
• Administer Direct Loan program in accordance with new regulations related to pro-ration and aggregate limits for grandfathered and new enrollment.
• Perform outreach to graduating students with Direct Loan borrowing history to ensure completion of exit counseling requirements.
• Design and implement Direct Loan Default Management program, to include outreach to defaulted borrowers.
• In coordination with the Assistant Director, track any Workforce Pell (WFP) recipient, including course start-end dates and reported attendance.
• Maintain and refresh financial aid information located at the College's website and the student portal.
• Act as liaison to the marketing department in determining social media outreach messages surrounding events, deadlines, policies, updates, etc..
• Perform monthly reconciliation of the Direct Loan and Pell Grant programs using reports from multiple databases.
• Collaborate with cashier's department for registered Medical Assistant Program (MAP) students and determine proper funding levels for students, make adjustments or cancellations as necessary.
• Collaborate with College departments such as Registration and Accounts Receivable to discuss relevant data for processing financial aid applications and reconciling financial aid awards.
• Assist director in maintaining audit-ready files for all audit/program reviews.
• Assist with end-of-term SAP evaluations, including reviewing students exceeding maximum timeframe limits; update institutional systems based on outcomes, coordinate appeal reviews with the committee, and notify students in accordance with federal and institutional guidelines.
• Maintain database of SAP appeals on an on-going basis, to include facilitating collaboration of the SAP appeal review committee, ensuring committee access to necessary documentation, updating student records, and communicating SAP appeal outcomes and next steps to students.
• Administer the Children's Home Foundation Scholarship in alignment with the MOU by collecting, reviewing, and processing student documentation and posting awards.
• Serve on committees as directed by supervisor and/or designee.

MARYLAND STATE GRANT ADMINISTRATION

• Process electronic state billing rosters and request payments.

• Evaluate Maryland Verification Forms to determine eligibility/awarding of Maryland State grant funds.

• Recalibrate student award packages in the system based on the inclusion of state scholarships and grants.

• Maintain audit-ready files for Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) program reviews.

• Perform targeted outreach to assist students in understanding Maryland State House Bill 1014 requirements, as pertains to notification of level of indebtedness in the Direct Loan program.

• Perform annual reconciliation of the Maryland State grant program using multiple reports.

• Develop and establish procedures for administering the decentralized Maryland State Community College Promise scholarship and the Maryland Guaranteed Access Grant in compliance with institutional and State regulations.

• Manage the full scholarship process, including student selection, documentation review, posting, and validate award amounts prior to disbursement.

• Maintain timely communication and updates to the State and students regarding account changes and award activity.

• Implement an appeal process.

• Review student accounts to assess eligibility for decentralized programs, and report all awarded programs in accordance with institutional and State requirements.

• Create and maintain the Maryland Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program and Jean B. Cryor Memorial Scholarship Program, including management of allocated funding, student application process, and roster submission.

OTHER RELATED DUTIES

• Increase and maintain in-depth knowledge of Title IV, VA, and MHEC regulations by attending relevant workshops, conferences and meetings.
• Participate in community outreach activities, campus events, and committees as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Bachelor's degree required; Preferably with coursework in business or accounting.
• Substantive financial aid experience (3-5 years), and customer service or familiarity with accounts receivable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Professional experience should reflect a basic working knowledge and understanding of Title IV programs. Requires an exceptional degree of detail and accuracy and possession of analytic skills.A strong working knowledge of integrated student information software is required (i.e. Jenzabar, SCT Banner, Datatel).

Must demonstrate ability to interpret complex regulations and to apply them to daily decisions particularly with the verification process and review of special circumstances. Evidence of strong verbal and written communication skills.

SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS:

Work schedule may vary during critical periods requiring evening, Saturday, or Sunday work hours depending on the need.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

This position classifies the physical exertion requirements as sedentary work involving lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally, and other sedentary criteria are met.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as office or meeting and training rooms, e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire and building safety regulations, and traffic signals when driving. Periodic travel between college locations and State meetings.

General Benefits:

Cecil College offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefit package offering medical, dental and vision coverage for employee and eligible dependents; generous annual, sick and personal leave; 19 paid holidays; tuition assistance and tuition waiver based on eligibility guidelines; opportunity to enroll in retirement accounts (403B or Maryland State Retirement System based on eligibility guidelines); voluntary retirement account with TIAA or Fidelity, employee paid short term disability, employer provided basic life insurance and accidental death insurance, and employee paid voluntary life insurance, access to Fitness Center, and library. For more information Employee Benefits | Cecil College

This is an exempt position (not overtime eligible); Grade 115 (pay scale:$57,309-91,695). Based on the budget, the salary for the position will be $62,000

Posted on 6/22/26. Deadline for position is 6/29/26.

Based upon the budgeted hours of a position, contribution to the Maryland State Retirement Pension System may be required.

• We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all hiring and employment practices. Cecil College will not discriminate against any individual by reason of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic status, genetic information, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws.