Financial Aid Assistant - Jersey City, United States - Hudson County Community College

Description

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(For Internal Consideration Only.)

The Opportunity

This is an exciting time to be a part of the HCCC community. The College recently launched its Strategic Plan, the culmination of which will align with the College's 50 th anniversary in 2024. The College was recognized by the Association of Community College Trustees as the recipient of the 2021 ACCT Northeast Region Equity Award. HCCC has recently been named one of 101 recipients, 1 of only 7 community colleges to be distinguished for the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. HCCC's Culinary Arts Institute was ranked as the #6 Culinary Arts program in the United States by Best Choice Schools. Most recently, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) selected HCCC as one of twenty-four colleges nationwide to be named a "2022 Most Promising Place to Work in Community Colleges."

Overview

Hudson County Community College serves one of the most ethnically diverse and densely populated communities in the United States. The College is a vibrant, urban institution of higher education whose mission is to provide its diverse communities with inclusive, high-quality educational programs and services that promote student success and upward social and economic mobility.

More than 90% of HCCC's students receive scholarships, grants, and loans to finance their education, and the College's extensive financial aid program helps connect students with the resources they need. To date, the College's Foundation has raised over $3.5 million for student scholarships, and HCCC ranks first in the state of New Jersey for its award of Community College Opportunity Grant funds. About half of its more than 12,000 credit students identify as Hispanic, and more than 33% of all students were born outside of the U.S. In 2021, HCCC had two students selected from a national applicant pool to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Hudson County Community College has three campuses. The largest campus is located at the heart of Jersey City's Journal Square, which is approximately 20 minutes from New York City. The College has a North Hudson Campus, located in Union City, New Jersey and an additional location at the Hudson County Schools of Technology in Secaucus, New Jersey. The College offers 70 degree and certificate programs and more than 300-day, evening, and weekend courses throughout its three-campus network.

Hudson County Community College is committed to delivering high-quality educational experiences. HCCC is a member of the Achieving the Dream network of community colleges. Achieving the Dream is a national reform network of high-performing community colleges that are focused on leveraging data-informed best practices to promote equitable outcomes.

HCCC has two campus Libraries that provide welcoming common spaces that encourage exploration, creation, and collaboration between students, faculty, and a broader community. Our resources include a collection comprised of over 60,000 print and online books, 130 online databases, and approximately 67,000 periodicals (mostly online), nearly 2,000 DVDs, and a number of select streaming videos. In support of our many English Language Learners, our ESL collection offers a rich array of fiction and non-fiction books categorized by reading level to meet a variety of needs.

The Glen Gabert Library, located on the Journal Square campus, is the home of the Hudson County Community College Archive Collection which offers access to the rich history of HCCC and its impact on Jersey City and the surrounding community. The North Hudson Campus Library is located at our Union City location.

The libraries are open seven days a week while offering a variety of digital technologies that offer pathways to learning and content acquisition. Some of the available technologies include Makerspace facilities for podcasting, 3D printing, crafts, and more, a combination of PC and Macintosh computers, scanners, printers, virtual reality headsets, learning hubs, and prayer and meditation rooms.

The College boasts several signature programs, including a nationally recognized Culinary Arts Institute and Nursing Program. The College's Culinary Arts Institute is one of only three programs in the New York Metropolitan region to hold accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation. The Culinary Arts Institute features state-of-the-art facilities and a hands-on program that prepares students for a range of careers in the hospitality industry. The College recently announced the dedication of the Bloomberg Finance Lab, which provides students with real world experience to prepare them for employment in banks, corporations, and government agencies.

A leader in workforce development, HCCC hosted The Aspen Institute's Workforce Leadership Academy, which was the first to be offered in partnership with a community college. The Hudson County Workforce Leadership Academy was funded through a combination of public and private donors that included JPMorgan Chase, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the County of Hudson, the LeFrak Family, and Mack-Cali.

Department / Division Introduction

Financial Aid

Position Summary / Job Description

The Financial Aid Assistant performs various activities of a routine to moderately complex nature regarding the determination of financial assistance to eligible students in support of the College's commitment to provide educational opportunities to a diverse and multi-cultural community.

Job Classification: Financial Aid Assistant, StaffSalary Grade: 105

1. Under direction, performs various review, verification, processing, and student support activities of a routine to moderately complex nature to determine individual student eligibility for Federal and State financial assistance:
   • Follows and explains Federal and State financial assistance rules and regulations, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) compliance regulations, Student Financial Assistance Office policies and processes, as well as established College policies and procedures, to students and parents. Provides applications and related forms to students for completion;
   • Responds to on-site and telephone inquiries regarding financial assistance policies and procedures. Provides advice and assistance to students to ensure that students have the information they need to successfully progress through the financial assistance application process up to the determination and granting of financial awards;
   • Performs required verification of student information and pertinent financial data as required for selected Federal audits. Gathers required documents from students to validate student information provided on financial assistance application. Compares original application with accompanying documents and identifies and processes data corrections for resubmission to and review by Federal and State agencies;
   • Properly utilizes the financial assistance component of the Student Information System (SIS) to input data regarding student eligibility and financial awards, perform data corrections, etc., to ensure the completeness, accuracy, and currency of financial assistance data and related student information. Prepares and generates various system reports. Generates and distributes student notification letters;
   • Assists in the implementation of process improvement systems specifically related to student financial assistance operations, services, and administrative activities to contribute to the identification and quick resolution of problems, enhancement of existing procedures and equipment, implementation of special policies, etc.;
   • Supports a student-friendly environment in addressing student financial assistance issues. Promptly identifies and resolves student problems, provides advice and guidance, etc.
2. May coordinate various activities associated with the College's Work Study program, operating within established program budget constraints and student participation criteria:
   • Prepares program handbooks for current and prospective Work Study student participants;
   • Provides advice and guidance to student participants regarding program policies and procedures;
   • Tracks student movement in and out of the program and ensures a constant pool of students for placement in work study assignments;
   • Communicates with appropriate supervisors/managers to monitor student participation and discuss program effectiveness;
   • In accordance with established payroll schedules, reviews, verifies, approves, and submits timesheets for Work Study students, ensuring that total hours worked comply with established College policies and procedures;
   • Approves changes in work schedules, reallocates students as necessary to ensure coverage, schedules and approves time off, etc.
3. May perform various administrative activities in support of Student Financial Assistance Office to contribute to the efficiency of Office operations:
   • Answers, responds to, and/or refers incoming telephone calls to the Financial Assistance Office. Monitors the student financial assistance helpline, in both English and Spanish, to respond to student/parent questions, issues, or concerns in a timely manner and in accordance with established Office procedures;
   • Prepares and distributes general correspondence, as necessary;
   • Establishes, organizes, and maintains student files and general office files;
   • Disseminates and maintains financial assistance brochures and promotional materials;
   • Actively participates in Open House registration and similar events/activities to provide and explain the student financial assistance process;
   • Assists in preparing and updating the Student Financial Aid Handbook to keep students informed of eligibility requirements and program policies and procedures;
4. Interacts regularly with Admissions, Registration, Counseling and Advisement, Bursar Office, and various Academic Affairs Departments staff to facilitate the student financial assistance and award determination process.
5. Continues to develop professional skills through independent research, networking, attending seminars and workshops, etc., to maintain awareness of current and changing trends in education and specific to student financial assistance. Remains knowledgeable of regulatory issues specific to student financial assistance and related administrative activities.
6. Projects a positive self-image of professionalism, appearance, confidentiality, courtesy, conduct, honesty, fairness, and personal integrity at all times.
7. Performs other student financial assistance activities, as required. Actively participates in special projects, as required. Remains flexible and adaptable in work schedules and work assignments as defined by College and departmental needs.

Position Requirements:

EducationandExperience:Minimum of an Associate degree in Accounting/Finance, Business, or a related field with a minimum of two years of related work experience required. Bachelor degree preferred.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Knowledge of student financial assistance review, processing, and award determination activities required. Knowledge of current and changing Federal and State rules and regulations regarding financial assistance required. Knowledge of accounting practices and familiarity with tax returns helpful. Effective verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal, and customer service skills required to effectively collaborate with prospective, new and existing students, faculty, advisors, counselors, and all levels of employees and management. Effective organization and time management skills required with a keen attention to detail. Computer proficiency and knowledge of automated financial assistance and student information systems also required.

Review of applications to begin

Immediately.

Applications

For full consideration please send resume, cover letter, salary expectations, and a list of three professional references to Sheila Aitouakrim/ Associate Director of Financial Aid. Email Address: .

As a New Jersey First Act Employer, new employees must establish a primary residence in New Jersey within one year unless an exemption applies.

HCCC is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive learning and working environment. Decisions on employment are made on the basis of the qualifications of an individual for the particular position being filled. Women, veterans and minorities are encouraged to apply.