Financial Aid Assistant

The Financial Aid Specialist supports the administration of Federal, State, Institutional, and Scholarship programs for Georgia Military College. This position processes aid accurately and efficiently, ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, and provides high-quality support to students, families, and institutional partners. The position includes a three-tier advancement structure (I, II, III) aligned with increasing levels of technical expertise, compliance responsibility, and independent decision-making. Primary Responsibilities: ### Federal Aid Responsibilities • Review and process FAFSA/ISIR data including verification, C-flag resolution, conflicting information, and household documentation. • Import ISIR records and troubleshoot processing issues in Colleague. • Originate federal Direct Loans and process COD responses. • Certify private/alternative loans including ELM processing. • Evaluate aid eligibility, SAP, Pell recalculation, disbursement requirements, and professional judgment. • Complete Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculations. • Administer the Federal Work-Study Program including eligibility determination, placement, monitoring earnings, and processing bi-weekly timesheets. • Process consortium agreements. ### State Aid Responsibilities • Determine, award, and reconcile HOPE/Zell, Dual Enrollment, GTEG, and College Completion Grant. • Resolve GSFC State Errors and manage adjustments across terms. • Maintain accurate documentation for audits and reconciliation cycles. ### Institutional & Scholarship Responsibilities • Administer institutional scholarships, waivers, Corps of Cadets awards, endowed scholarships, and athletic awards. • Track scholarship renewal criteria, multi-term commitments, and award limits. ### Systemwide Campus Support • Serve as a financial aid resource to all GMC campuses and the Online Campus. • Communicate documentation requirements, eligibility updates, and case resolutions. ### Reporting & Data Stewardship • Process and distribute recurring aid reports including Loan Query, Direct Loan Notifications, Welcome Letter, Pending Aid, ELM, and GTEG. • Maintain audit-ready files and support DOAA Financial, SFA, SFA-IT audits, and GSFC audits. ### Customer Service & Communication • Provide counseling to graduation coaches, students and families regarding aid processes, eligibility, SAP, and loan obligations. • Manage the financial aid help email inbox, ensuring timely case triage and response. • Issue communications regarding missing documents and award notifications. ### Regulatory, Compliance, & Training • Maintain current knowledge of federal and state regulations; attend required training, workshops, and conferences. • Support internal control development and SaaS transition activities. • Assist with documentation required for SACSCOC and institutional effectiveness reporting. Minimum Qualifications: • Associate degree or relevant experience. • 0–2 years financial aid or related experience. • Foundational understanding of FAFSA/verification concepts. • Ability to learn federal, state, and institutional aid programs.