Coordinator, Financial Aid - CO Grant & Special Programs

Who We AreWith three campuses along Colorado's Front Range, FRCC is the state's largest community college. We enroll close to 28,000 students annually from our diverse service area, which offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities. Each year approximately 5,000 FRCC students transfer to four-year universities and FRCC offers more than 36 career training programs that prepare students for immediate employment and rewarding careers. Last year, more than 5,000 high school students took concurrent enrollment classes with us, earning college credit without having to pay college tuition. And we were recently ranked as one of the "Top Online Colleges" in the country by Newsweek. One of FRCC's main goals is to offer educational excellence for everyone. The college's strong commitment to student success means we start by creating an inclusive and equitable environment-one where both students and employees feel they belong and are supported. FRCC's focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is woven into the fabric of our college conversations and decision-making processes. We are actively seeking to hire a workforce that reflects the diversity of our student body. The college is also an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. For us, becoming an HSI is an intentional commitment to being a college where our Latinx (and other historically marginalized) students thrive. FRCC employees and leaders work hard to create a culture of collaboration, innovation and pride. We're looking to hire people who share these values-along with our commitment to student success, equity and excellence.Who You AreAs a key member of the FRCC Financial Aid team, you will help students achieve their educational goals by ensuring accurate awarding, reporting, and distribution of Colorado grant aid sources. Your work will support the College's strategic priorities of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity. You will collaborate closely with the Financial Aid Department to maintain compliance and operations, particularly in identifying and addressing potentially fraudulent financial aid applications.Your responsibilities include reviewing financial aid applications for accuracy and equity across federal, state, private, and institutional funds. You will manage reporting, programming, and processing schedules for automated systems, and assist with testing and troubleshooting in the student information system and other financial aid software. Keeping up-to-date with federal, state, and institutional regulations is essential, as is supporting quality control of financial aid data.This position does have the opportunity to work remotely occasionally but does require a strong on-campus presence and will need to travel to all three FRCC campuses.In accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 24-50-1002, this position may have access to federal tax information received from the federal government and is therefore subject to fingerprint-based criminal history record checks.Please note: You need to be a Colorado resident on your first day of employment. SALARY: Beginning July 1, 2024: $54,366-$57,085/annually BENEFITS: Please click here to find more information about APT & Faculty Benefits SELECTION PROCESS: Position will remain open until filled with a priority deadline of July 7, 2024. This posting may be used to fill multiple or similar positions.

Preliminary screening will be made on the basis of completed application package submitted by candidate. In your application please include a resume and cover letter that specifically addresses how your background and experience align with requirements, qualification and responsibilities of the Coordinator, Financial Aid - CO Grant and Special Programs.
Primary Duties
Compliance Management:Review fraud reports and financial aid applications to determine actions.Update account holds regularly based on new information.Act as the primary contact for suspicious application activity.Collect documentation for fraud investigations and collaborate on responses.Stay current on federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations.Develop strategies to reduce compliance risks and improve efficiency.Update financial aid policies to reflect regulatory changes and priorities.Communicate policy updates to staff, students, and stakeholders.Train staff on financial aid regulations and procedures

Financial Aid Processing: Review FAFSA data and student documentation to determine eligibility for Colorado grants and scholarships.Manage award processing and allocation for various state programs including Care Forward CO, Career Advance CO, COSI Finish What You Started, COSI Back to Work, Path 4 Ward, CO Foster Youth, CO Helps, CO Technical Grant, Opportunity Next, and any other state programs that may be implemented.Identify trends and areas for improvement in financial aid processes.Prepare reports for leadership and regulatory agencies.Collaborate with Accounts Receivable to adjust awards for dropped courses weekly.Collaboration and Communication:Serve as the expert on Colorado state grant and scholarship programs.Develop and lead training for staff on state grant and scholarship programs.Manage the Care Forward/Career Advance email inbox.Collaborate with enrollment management, student services, and academic departments to support student success.Represent FRCC at relevant meetings, conferences, and workshops related to financial aid operations, Colorado Grants, and compliance.Financial Aid Team Support:Provide backup support to the financial aid department, including answering emails, taking student appointments, reviewing appeals, awarding scholarships, and supporting fund reconciliation.Assist Assistant Directors of Financial Aid with projects.Actively participate in and assist with college-wide outreach campaigns and activities, as needed.Professional Development:Attend trainings provided by Federal Student Aid, NASFAA, RMASFAA, CAFAA, CCCS, and FRCC.
Required Competencies
Mission, Vision & Values: Embrace the mission, vision and values of FRCC. Understand the importance of the work that you do to support institutional goals. Student Centeredness: Place the student at the center of your work. Adopt a philosophy that makes the ability to serve the student the cornerstone of the work that you do.Data Usage: Look at the data within the department, paying particular attention to what the data shows about the department's performance and student impact. Work with the next level supervisor to brainstorm changes that can be implemented to improve a program or service that the department provides. Cultural Self-Awareness: Willing to examine own beliefs and acknowledge own biases and how they have impacted or may impact the ability to serve students. Cultural Competence: Recognize the need to become knowledgeable about the ways to communicate and support students of other backgrounds. Change approach to reflect the new learning. Equity Mindedness: Learn to view department operations through an equity lens. Be willing to call attention to processes that lead to inequity in serving students. Understand the College's equity goals and how your role supports FRCC's ability to achieve those goals. Operational Planning: Have an understanding and knowledge of the college's various strategic plans and understand how your work supports each of them. Understand the department's expectations to find proactive ways to support the goals of the department. Leading from the Middle: Lead from your position by not only closely examine your responsibilities for the department, but in bringing forward ideas to your supervisor the college should consider to be more student centered. Team Building: Participate in team-building exercises and strive to build positive and collaborative relationships with colleagues both within the department and in other departments within the college.Collaboration: Willingness to work with colleagues across departments to further student engagement.
Qualifications
Required Education/Training & Work Experience:Bachelor's degree Two years of increasingly responsible professional experience in a financial aid office.Knowledge of financial aid, rules and regulations.Working knowledge of student information systems, such as Banner.Welcoming. Respectful. Inclusive. Together, we are FRCC.

Benefit-Eligible EmployeesGroup Health BenefitsIf you are an APT, staff, or faculty and are scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week, you are eligible for benefits on the first day you officially begin active employment. FRCC offers a variety of family-friendly benefits designed to support your physical, emotional and financial health, including:* Medical, dental and vision insurance* Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical and Dependent Care* Life, AD&D and Disability Insurance* Paid Time Off* Paid Community or School Volunteer Leave* Leave of Absence Options* College Invest 529Additional information regarding benefits can be found at CCCS Employee Benefits.RetirementFRCC employees contribute to Colorado PERA, which provides retirement and other benefits to employees of more than 500 government agencies and public entities in the state of Colorado.

PERA is the 21st largest public pension plan in the United States and is a substitute for Social Security; FRCC employees do not contribute to Social Security. PERA eligible employees are required to contribute a fixed percentage of their salary to the pension. Student employees are not eligible to participate in PERA.FRCC and the State of Colorado also offer three tax-deferred supplemental investment plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans.Tuition ReimbursementEducation and the success of you and your dependents is a priority at Front Range Community College.

We encourage you to develop job skills and abilities which will benefit you as well as our College. Eligible employees, their eligible dependents, and domestic partners may enroll in credit courses at any of the 13 system community colleges.Professional Development OpportunitiesFRCC offers a variety of professional development opportunities to create possibilities for your career and life. We are building a learning community where you can work with diverse individuals, explore new ways of thinking and expand your capabilities.Flexible Work ArrangementsFront Range offers a variety of flexible work arrangements based on departments and positions.

Please ask if this is an opportunity for this role.Employee Assistance ProgramOur employee assistance program (EAP) services are available to you and your household members at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP). These confidential services offered to support the wellbeing of both you and your family members include counseling, professional coaching, webinars, mediation, financial assistance, and more. For more information, please visit https://cseap.colorado.gov/ .BenefitHubAs a State of Colorado employee, you will have access to the BenefitHub website where you will find a variety of local and national discounts.