Financial Aid Program Specialist

Financial Aid Program Specialist

Salary

$67,572.37 - $86,932.28 Annually

Location

3000 NE 4th Street Renton, WA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

26-P0007

Department

Financial Aid Office

Opening Date

07/15/2026

Closing Date

8/9/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position

Renton Technical College is seeking a Financial Aid Program Specialist! This role is responsible for providing direct services to students while also maintaining the operations and processes for institutional, federal, state, tribal, and other agency-funded financial aid programs.

The Financial Aid Program Specialist is represented by the Renton Professional Technical Association (Prof-Tech) union. This is a full-time, classified, and overtime eligible position reporting to the Associate Dean of Student Funding. The pay range for this role is $67,572.37 - $86,932.28 annually. Salary placement is based on applicable experience. New hires may not be placed above step 10 ($82,902.86). Additional information can be found on our benefits page and in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The priority consideration date for this position is August 9, 2026.

Renton Technical College, located southeast of Seattle, has provided quality education in a variety of occupations for over 75 years. Our professional-technical certificate and degree programs offer entry and mid-level training in the areas of allied health, trades, and industry, culinary, business, technology, and automotive. Our outstanding college & career pathways program with classes in adult basic education, English as a second language, and GED preparation is available to those who need additional preparation before entering a training program and for those who simply wish to improve their math and English skills. Career Education and apprenticeships degrees round out our offerings.

Key Responsibilities / Essential Functions Include

Program Support

• Serve as the liaison for AmeriCorps, King County Promise, Early Achievers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) / Aerospace Career Enhancement (ACE) Childcare, and other agency-funded programs by coordinating program operations, processes, and services, while maintaining effective communication and collaboration with students, partners, and stakeholders.
• Provide administrative and technical support for Veteran Services operations by assisting with VA certifications and data entry, maintaining vouchers, records and documentation, responding to student inquiries, supporting outreach events, and ensuring compliance with audit and regulatory requirements.
• Provide support for student funding operations, including Work-Study, Renton Promise, and other funding programs and resources, by coordinating processes, assisting students, maintaining records, and ensuring timely communication and service delivery.
• Support operational processes by maintaining accurate financial aid records, resolving data discrepancies and potential fraud concerns, collaborating with campus departments, ensuring data integrity, and facilitating timely student communications and aid delivery.

Student Aid Processing

• Determine eligibility and award financial aid based on policies and regulatory requirements while adhering to federal and state regulations and institutional policies and compliance regulations.
• Analyze student records in multiple databases, including Financial Aid, Enrollment Service, Student Academic, Student Financial, and other in-house, state, and federal databases.
• Complete the financial aid verification process, which includes but is not limited to citizenship, residency, assets, federal IRS taxes, obtain documentation, resolve discrepancies, and make the necessary changes and adjustments.
• Conduct student federal aid identity verification and analyze fraudulent record process and collaborate with other departments and CTC colleges to maintain timely status updates and reporting requirements.
• Work with the SBCTC ctcLink (PeopleSoft) support team, other departments, and institutions to maintain the system configuration/setup for Student Group/Attribute, Service Indicators, and Item Type to assure the integrity of program coding and school reporting requirements.
• Package student aid, process award adjustments, authorization, disbursement, student refund, and repayment and maintain funding reconciliation.
• Evaluate Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and perform professional judgment independently for extenuating and change of circumstances that students/family encounter, audit students record and maintain institutional compliance and Risk-based survey duties.
• Track, monitor, and process student records in accordance with program requirements and state and federal regulations, while supporting key financial aid functions such as BankMobile (BMX), ctcLink Service Indicators, Drop for Non-Payment (DNP), Suspend ISIR, Transfer Student Monitoring, and financial aid record updates.

Direct Student Service & Support

• Serve as a support resource for the departmental, Work-Study, Veterans, Agency Funding, and Renton Promise email accounts, monitoring inquiries and coordinating timely responses.
• Provide support to students by addressing funding-related issues by interpreting federal and state financial aid regulations, recommending solutions, facilitating completion of the funding application process, and facilitating warm handoffs to assigned faculty counselors and other student support resources to promote student success.
• Provide individualized student and public services via multiple platforms including but not limited to virtual, email, phone, and in-person, with excellent customer service skills focused on bringing racial equity and social justice equity lenses.
• Serve as a departmental team member by demonstrating cultural competency and a commitment to equity, supporting students from diverse backgrounds, recognizing and helping mitigate systemic barriers, and providing inclusive, student-centered service.
• Maintain the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and respect the privacy/confidentiality of individuals.

Campus & Community Outreach / Engagement

• Collaborate with staff across campus to provide enrollment support during new student intake and activities to promote and implement student retention initiatives that enhance persistence and completion.
• Facilitate statewide FAFSA/WASFA completions and financial literacy workshops through campus-wide and community-centered outreach efforts and presentations. Demonstrated commitment to fostering and supporting a discussion, teaching, learning and working environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Apply equitable tools and tactics learned from numerous training opportunities in your daily work.
• Other duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of the department and the college.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience with persons from diverse backgrounds such as sexual orientation, racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, gender, age, socio-economic, physical and learning abilities, and a commitment to an inclusive and equitable working / learning environment.
• Two years of experience in financial aid, student funding and/or other related transferable skills.
• Associate degree required. Bachelors degree is preferred or equivalent education and relevant professional experience / credentials.
• Ability to demonstrate high skill levels in extracting and analyzing data, generating reports, and applying fund reconciliation and basic accounting principles.
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft, BankMobile (BMTX), Washington Student Achievements Council (WSAC) portal, Common Origination and Disbursements (COD), National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), Federal Aid Administrator Access (FAA Access) to Central Processing System (CPS Online), and other similar programs.
• Strong organizational skills, the ability to work independently and prioritize multiple tasks, the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and handle multiple interruptions while completing multiple tasks.
• Knowledge of computers and software, especially Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Booking, Forms etc.), Zoom and other software and application programs.
• Demonstrated ability to promote universal design and accessibility. Proficiency in (or ability to learn within 6 month of hire) the production of accessible content, whether print or electronic.
• Ability to represent the college in a positive and professional manner, while using tact, discretion and courtesy.
• Ability to speak a regionally top spoken language other than English is preferred (Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS, LICENSES, AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• Must not be in default on any student loans

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Working hours are generally aligned to business hours, Monday - Friday. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. Work is mostly sedentary in nature, performed in an office environment. Frequent use of a computer and exposure to terminal screens is required. Work and meetings may take place across campus. May drive/travel to trainings, conferences, and/or college events. This is mostly an in-person/on-campus position; remote work may occur as business permits.

Terms of Employment

In the interest of providing a healthy, safe and secure educational and work environment, and in order to meet the requirements of federal legislation, it is the policy of Renton Technical College to maintain an alcohol and drug-free workplace for our employees and students.

The person hired is required to provide authorization for employment in the United States. All offers of employment are contingent to background checks, including employment and required degree/credential verification. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicants suitability and competence to perform successfully in the position. Finalists are required to complete the Sexual Misconduct Disclosure form as required under RCW 288.112.080. Post offer, pre-employment criminal background checks are also required.

For questions regarding this position contact recruiting@rtc.edu.

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EEO STATEMENT: Renton Technical College provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veterans or military status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendment Act, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Violence Against Women Re-authorization Act and Washington State Law Against Discrimination, Chapter 49.60 RCW and their implementing regulations. The following college official has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Title IX / EEO Coordinator, Lesley Hogan, Vice President of Human Resources 3000 NE 4th Street Renton, WA 98056 (425)235-7873, titleix@rtc.edu.

Jeanne Clery statement: Notice of Availability of Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: In compliance with Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act of 1998, and as a part of the Colleges commitment to safety and security on campus, Renton Technical College reports the mandate information about current campus policies concerning safety and security issues, the required statistics, and other related information for the past three (3) calendar years. Renton Technical Colleges Annual Safety and Fire Report is available online at: https://rtc.edu/about-rtc/campus-resources/campus-security/annual-security-report.php. For information on how to access the RTC Daily Crime Log follow this link:https://rtc.edu/about-rtc/campus-resources/campus-security/daily-crime-log.php

We acknowledge that RTC sits uninvited on the ancestral land of the Puget Salish people, including the Duwamish, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot Nations. We are grateful to the original inhabitants of this land, upon which we gather and dialogue. We also acknowledge our increasingly virtual world, in which RTC's work is done across multiple indigenous lands, in some cases, away from Puget Salish territories. We thank the original caretakers of our local lands and waters, who are still here.

Beyond acknowledgment, we each have an obligation to learn about and support our local tribes. Find out how on our resources page, which includes scholarships for Indigenous students.

2026 Employee Benefits Summary

Coverage begins the first day of the month following the date of hire. If the date of hire is the first working day of the month, coverage begins immediately. Spouse or same-sex domestic partner, and dependent children are eligible for coverage. Eligible employees at Renton Technical College (RTC) receive a generous benefits package in addition to their paycheck, including:

Medical Insurance

Employees pay a portion of their medical care cost through payroll deduction. The employee premium is based on the choice of plan and coverage for lawful spouses, same-sex domestic partners, and dependent children. more information can be found by visiting www.hca.wa.gov/pebb

2026 Employee Monthly Contribution by Family Tier

PEBB medical Plans

Employee

Employee & Spouse

Employee & Child(ren)

Employee & Family

Kaiser Permanente NW Classic

$256

$512

$448

$704

Kaiser Permanente NW CDHP

$58

$116

$102

$160

Kaiser Permanente WA Classic

$141

$282

$247

$388

Kaiser Permanente WA CDHP

$25

$50

$44

$69

Kaiser Permanente WA Sound Choice

$102

$204

$179

$281

Kaiser Permanente WA Value

$150

$300

$263

$413

UMP Classic

$145

$290

$254

$399

UMP Select

$82

$164

$144

$226

UMP CDHP

$57

$114

$100

$157

Dental Coverage

Renton Technical College provides dental coverage at no monthly premium cost to the employee. Benefit eligible employees have 3 dental plans to choose from. Options include:

• Uniform Dental Plan (Preferred Provider Organization -PPO plan) Administered by Washington Dental Service(WDS)
• DeltaCare (Managed CarePlan) Administered by Washington Dental Service (WDS)
• Willamette Dental (Managed CarePlan) Administered by WillametteDental

Vision

Renton Technical College provides vision coverage at no monthly premium cost to the employee. Benefit eligible employees have 3 vision plans to choose from. Coverage for care services and Hardware (glasses, contact lenses, etc.) vary by plan. Options include:

• Davis Vision by MetLife
• EyeMed
• MetLife Vision

Waiving Medical Coverage

If you have other medical insurance, you can choose to waive medical coverage for yourself or anyfamily member. If you have existing coverage through your spouse or domestic partner, please contact the plan directly to see how they will coordinatebenefits.

If waiving medical coverage, the employee will still be covered under the dental and vision insurance plan at no monthly premium cost.

Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA& LPFSA) & Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP)

The FSA, LFA and DCAP plans are offered by the College and the State of Washington. FSA is a PEBB sponsored benefit program that allows you to use pre-tax money in a calendar year to pay for certain out-of-pocket medical expenses and/or Childcare expenses.

An FSA can save you 25 - 40% on your eligible expenses. Both plans are offered as payroll deductions.

Annual contributions in 2026 for Flexible Spending Arrangements can be between a minimum of $120 to maximum of $3,400. As a "use it or lose it" IRC governed plan, medical expense reimbursements can be requested for employees, spouse, or their IRS eligible dependents.

Annual contributions in 2026 for the Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Arrangement can be between a minimum of $120 to maximum of $3,400. As a "use it or lose it" IRC governed plan, medical expense reimbursements can be requested for employee, spouse, or their IRS eligible dependents. Limited Purpose FSA is for employees enrolled in CDHP plans with HSA. Funds can only be used for dental and vision expenses only.

Dependent Care FSA (DCAP) allows you to save on child or elder care expenses. (e.g., babysitting, daycare, in-home care for an older dependent inept of self-care). Annual contribution is $7,500 for a Single person or Married couple filing a joint tax return. Contribution of $3,750 for each married participant filing separate tax returns.

Life-Insurance

Permanent employees, lawful spouse, qualified same-sex domestic partner and dependent children under 26 years of age are eligible to enroll in life Insurance. Coverage is effective first of the month following the date of employment for basic coverage; for optional coverage, amounts become effective the first of the month following approval date.

• Basic Coverage: $35,000 Basic Term Life & $5,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) This is employer provided at no cost to theemployee.
• Supplemental Life Coverage(s): Supplemental term insurance coverage for employee, lawful spouse, qualified same-sex domestic partner and family is available in$10,000 increments from $10,000 up to $100,000, at additional cost to the employee.
• Supplemental AD&D Coverage: Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment for employee, lawful spouse, qualified same-sex domestic partner and family is available at additional cost to employee.

Life Insurance Evidence of Insurability may be required for certain supplemental coverage amounts.

Long-Term Disability (Two Plans offered)

• Basic Plan: Employer provided and at no cost to the employee. It Provides 60% of the first $750 pre-disability monthly earnings, reduced by any deductible income. The maximum benefit $450 per month; the minimum benefit $100 per month. Benefits begin after 90 days of disability or the period of accumulated sick leave, whichever islonger.
• 2 Optional Plans: 60% and 50% of pre-disability monthly earnings, reduced by any deductible income, and is available at additional cost to employee. Maximum benefit for 60% plan is $10,000 per month and $8,333 per month for the 50% plan. Premium for the optional plans is determined by employee type and waiting periodselected.

Retirement Options (Tax Deferred Retirement Plans)

PERS Plan 2: defined benefit plan for classified staff

• Employee Contribution: 5.38% of gross salary

• Employer Contribution: 5.58% of gross salary

PERS Plan 3: defined benefit & employee defined contribution for classified staff, Administrators, and Exempt employees.

• Employee Contribution: Varies from 5% to 15%

• Employer Contribution: 5.58% of gross salary

TRS Plan 2: defined benefit & employee defined contribution for Faculty

• Employee Contribution: 7.54% of gross salary

• Employer Contribution: 7.74% of gross salary

TRS Plan 3: defined benefit & employee defined contribution for Faculty

• Employee Contribution: Varies from 5% to 15% of gross salary

• Employer Contribution: 7.74% of gross salary

TIAA-CREF: defined contribution plan for Faculty, Administrators, and Exempt employees

• Employee Contribution: Under 35: 5% of gross salary; 35-49: 7.5% of gross salary; 50 & over: 10% of gross salary

• Employee and Employer contributions to applicable retirement plans are mandatory for benefit eligible employees. The amount of the deduction and contribution are dependent upon the retirement plan chosen and may vary by current contribution rates in effect.

Supplemental Retirement & Deferred Compensation Plan

Supplemental Retirement Plan: In addition to regular matched retirement, employee can voluntarily participate in a 403(b) plan and set aside a portion of their income in Pre-Tax Elective Deferral or an After-Tax (Roth) Elective Deferral. Agreements and amounts can be changed at any time.

Deferred Compensation Plan: The State of Washington 457 plan permits employee to set aside additional pre-tax earnings for retirement savings. Certain tax regulations allow employees to participate in one or both supplemental 403(b) plans and State of Washingtons 457 deferred compensation plan.

Contributions to a 403(b) or 457 plan are funded solely by the employee.

Credit Classes (Reduced Classes)

Faculty employed at 50% or more and permanent classified, exempt, or administrative staff may take almost any credit class on a space-available basis if requirements and prerequisites have been met. To get the reduced tuition rate, the employee may not register until the date listed in the enrollment calendar (usually the third day of the quarter). Hourly and probationary employees are not eligible for this reduced tuition.

Auto and Home Insurance - Liberty Mutual

PEBB members may receive a discount of up to 12 percent off Liberty Mutual's auto insurance rates and up to 5 percent off Liberty Mutual's home insurance rates. In addition to the discount, Liberty Mutual also offers:

• Discounts: based on your driving record, age, auto safety features, andmore.
• A 12-month rate guarantee on their competitiverates.
• Convenient payment options including automatic payroll deduction, electronic funds transfer, or direct billing athome.
• Prompt claims service with access to localrepresentatives.

Credit Unions

Eligible employees may join one of two credit unions. Both offer member services that include payroll direct deposit, automatic bill pays, savings and checking accounts, overdraft protection, personal lines of credit and low interest loans.

• GEZA Credit Union
• Washington State Employees Credit Union

Mechanics Bank (Previously Home Street Bank)

As an RTC employee you are eligible for exclusive homeownership benefits with the Hometown Home Loan Program offered through Mechanics Bank. With this benefits package, you have access to vital homeownership resources.

Washington 529 Education Saving Plans

The GET program is Washingtons 529 prepaid college tuition plan that helps families with young children save for future higher education expenses. The State of Washington guarantees that the value of your account will keep pace with the cost of college tuition, no matter how much it changes in the future. More information can be found at https://wastate529.wa.gov/howgetworks

Paid Holidays

Eligible employees will be paid for the following holidays (Please refer to the collective bargaining agreement, if applicable):

• LaborDay
• Veteran'sDay
• ThanksgivingDay
• The day after ThanksgivingDay
• ChristmasDay
• New Year'sDay
• The legally designated day for Martin Luther King Jr'sbirthday
• Juneteenth
• Presidents'Day
• MemorialDay
• IndependenceDay
• Personal Holiday (1day)

Leave

Employees accrue vacation (16.67 hours per month for exempt employees), sick (8 hours per month), and personal holiday based on their classification (8 hours per year for exempt employees). Represented employees should refer to their collective bargaining agreement for accrual rates and other leaves.

Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML):

This benefit offers partially paid leave to care for yourself or a loved one in times of serious illness or injury; to bond with a new child joining your home through birth, adoption or foster placement; and for certain military-connected events if you have a family member in active-duty service.

Under the PFML program, the Employment Security Department (ESD) will replace up to 90% of an eligible employee's typical weekly wage, up to the maximum, which is updated yearly. The maximum weekly benefit for 2026 is $1,647. To learn more about this benefit, please visit the ESD PFML website at https://www.paidleave.wa.gov/workers

Resources:

Health Benefits / Plan Comparisons / Plan Contact Information: www.hca.wa.gov/pebb

Retirement Programs:

• State Board Retirement:http://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/my-employment/retirement.aspx
• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems:http://www.drs.wa.gov

Renton Technical College Benefits Office:

Oscar Gelo

HR Generalist

Phone: 425-235-7828

ogelo@rtc.edu

01

Do you have two years of experience in Financial Aid, Student Funding, or other related transferable skills?

• Yes
• No

02

Did you complete all of the work history and education fields within the online application? Did you upload your cover letter and resume / CV? If you did not complete these fields or attach these required documents, your application will not be considered for further screening.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Renton Technical College

Address 3000 NE 4th Street

Renton, Washington, 98056

Website http://www.RTC.edu