Location: Gardner, Leominster, MA Category: Professional (Staff Member) Posted On: Mon Aug 11 2025 Job Description:

General Statement of Duties:

Join our vibrant and inclusive educational community! We seek a candidate passionate about working with diverse student populations. As Senior Financial Aid Counselor, you'll play a key role in administering federal, state, and institutional aid programs (grants, scholarships, loans), collaborating closely with Admissions and Advising. This position reports to the Director of Financial Aid.

A significant focus will be supporting our incarcerated student population through FAFSA completion events and follow-up sessions at affiliated correctional facilities. You will work closely with our coordinators. This role involves counseling students and families on financial aid eligibility, policies, applications, programs, and student loan debt. Participation in events like Open Houses, Orientation, and Financial Aid Workshops, including some evenings and weekends, is expected. This position will work both at the Leominster and Gardner locations.

Responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality customer service to both internal and external college constituents;
• Collect, review and evaluate student financial aid applications and financial aid forms and documentation.
• Applies established policies and procedures to review financial aid files, conduct needs analysis and verification, make necessary corrections, and determine student eligibility for federal and state financial aid programs. Includes all required documentation to support any changes made to a student's file.
• Utilizes financial aid systems (e.g., Banner, TargetX) to manage student records and communications.
• Process files within 48 business hours of receipt of completed file for your caseload.
• Supports the college's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through equitable financial aid practices and outreach.
• Assists in quality control endeavors to ensure compliance with all federal, state, and institutional regulations within the office.
• Meet with students virtually.
• Serves as a point of escalation for frontline staff and resolving complex financial aid issues.
• Assists with retention efforts including, but not limited to, student outreach and event participation.
• Assists with Work Study program - entering payroll into SIS, answering student questions.
• Assists with Return of Funds calculations, as needed.
• Assisting incarcerated students at FAFSA sessions located in the correctional facilities.
• Assist in reviewing incarcerated student FAFSA summaries and sending them back for processing.
• Assist with awarding the incarcerated student population.
• Run report to identify students who need their award adjusted for outside scholarships.
• Work with student accounts to adjust any outside scholarship discrepancies.
• Responsible for maintaining current knowledge in all aspects of financial aid including changes to federal and state regulations, participating in annual training, professional organizations, and conferences to keep abreast of new information and program changes to be implemented.
• Collaborating with Admissions and Advising on areas of student support.
• Contribute to the development of policies and procedures.
• Participate in events requiring a Financial Aid presence such as Open Houses, Orientations, Financial Aid Workshops, etc., and will occasionally require weekend and/or evening work.
• Serves as the primary lead for all events, coordinating closely with office managers to ensure appropriate staffing and seamless coverage for all Student Financial Services (SFS) engagements.
• Oversee and/or complete special projects assigned or directed by the Director of Financial Aid.
• This list is not to be considered all-inclusive. A supervisor may assign other duties as required to meet the needs and foster the mission of the College.
• All employees of MWCC are expected to work collegially and collaboratively within a community that values and celebrates diversity.
• For Complete Union Specifications please click HERE

Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Education, Business Administration, Accounting, Human Services, or closely related field;
• Two (2) years experience and/or training involving financial aid operations, or loan processing; or
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Valid Drivers License

Desired Qualifications:

• At least one year at the professional level in a Financial Aid Office.
• Experience working at a college/university preferably in financial aid and with First Generation population as well as Adult Learners.
• Understanding financial aid awarding and title IV eligibility for undergraduate students, the verification process and Cost of Attendance components.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a strong sense of urgency, effectively prioritizing tasks and making timely decisions in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Knowledge of Title IV federal regulations.
• Bilingual
• Experience working in a Community College.
• Experience working with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system such as Target X.
• Experience working with an Enterprise Resource (ERP) system such as Banner.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to do public speaking.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills working in a very diverse environment.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Sensitivity and commitment to the goals of Affirmative Action and workforce diversity;
• Experience working in a diverse environment;
• Demonstrated commitment to working with underserved students
• Ability to work effectively in a collegial environment. A "collegial" environment not only includes the physical campus, but also extends to working effectively at events. That is, this individual must be able to perform equally at off campus events or on campus in every venue of duty and responsibility.

Equivalency Statement
Applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above are encouraged to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them with the equivalent combination of education, training and experience required for the responsibilities of this position.

Additional Information:

Salary: $ 63,159.00-$107,654.00

**** Actual Salary determined by education, experience, and any applicable grant limitations per the collective bargaining agreement. Applicants should be aware it is unlikely the salary will be at or near the top of the range.

Grade: 4
Employee Status: Full Time
Benefits:Yes
Hours per Week: 37.5 Hours are 10AM-6PM
Number of Weeks: 52

Mount Wachusett Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy or related conditions, gender identity, sex characteristics, sex stereotypes or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies. The College prohibits Sex-Based Harassment. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, or retaliation shall be referred to the College's Affirmative Action Officer and/or Title IX Coordinator, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.