Program Specialist 2 - Financial Aid

Who We Are Tacoma Community College ( TCC ) is built on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time and continue to do so today.

Our college commits to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.

TCC stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the Black community and we strive to become an anti-racist institution.

We are examining racism, both implicit and explicit, as a system of domination, and we seek to identify and abolish it in our policies, procedures, and practices.

As the winner of the 2020 Association of Community College Trustees Equity Award for the entire Pacific Region, TCC is committed to recruiting faculty and staff who are reflective of the diverse community we serve.

We are specifically focusing on improved support for traditionally underserved populations at TCC including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, Dreamers, justice-involved, immigrants and refugees, Veterans, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

To this end, the college seeks applicants who will intentionally support and promote efforts related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and who recognize and honor the important role that diversity brings to an educational community.

Since opening its doors in 1965, Tacoma Community College has provided a high-quality, affordable education to more than 500,000 people.

Serving Tacoma, Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula, online students and the women’s prisons, TCC educates about 11,000 students annually.

Many TCC students are the first in their families to attend college, 58 percent receive financial aid, 13 percent have children, 42 percent are students of color, and 48 percent work while attending school.

TCC has multiple campuses : the main campus is in Tacoma, another is in Gig Harbor, and two additional sites are maintained at the Washington Corrections Centers for Women.

Position Summary Provide financial aid services to students by reviewing and evaluating financial aid applications, determining financial need, and packaging financial aid awards.

Provide consultation and direct customer service to students, staff, and faculty. Communicate detailed financial aid and program information to internal and external customers.

This position reports to the Assistant Director of Financial Aid Services. Essential Functions Review and evaluate financial aid applications, determine financial aid eligibility for federal and state aid, package awards and utilize professional judgment.

Analyze and evaluate files by applying extensive knowledge of regulations for determining eligibility and need based on application data, FAFSA comments, federal database matches and academic progress requirements.

Prevent over-awards of financial aid by ensuring timely and accurate review of all aid types prior to awarding need-based or other financial resources.

Counsel students by providing excellent customer service, demonstrating empathy, listening attentively to questions and concerns, responding professionally to hostility, communicating clearly with native and non-native English speakers, and exercising professionalism and discretion in all communications and actions.

Provide consultation and directly assist students in resolving eligibility issues and application difficulties in all financial aid programs.

Maintain the confidentiality of student files and records per FERPA guidelines. Provide various office functions during a daily scheduled shift at the front counter by providing direct assistance including answering phones, emails, and questions from walk-in students and the general public in an accurate and timely manner.

Provide clear explanations of complex and technical information. May review various types of appeals submitted by students, such as Satisfactory Academic Progress, Time Limit, Income Revisions, and make necessary professional judgment decisions May conduct outreach events to educate students and the about financial aid and scholarship programs.

Provide assistance at front counter during scheduled shifts and when needed. May assist with and / or manage loan processing, Pell / COD processing, office budget, SAP (satisfactory academic progress) processing, state aid processes and reporting, Return of Title IV funds (R2T4), disbursements, specialized financial aid processing (Bachelor’s, Study Abroad, Second Chance Pell, consortiums), Scholarships (Foundation, State and external), Workforce awards, Veterans office.

Perform other duties as assigned to support the team in achieving its service objectives Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Associates degree from accredited college or university.

Two years’ experience working in a financial aid office, or related office experience OR equivalent education and / or experience.

Strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills Preferred Qualifications Intermediate word processing, spreadsheet, and database software skills.

Conditions of Employment Successful completion of a criminal history background check prior to employment. The Successful Candidate Will Demonstrate Excellent customer service skills;

including building and maintaining internal / external customer satisfaction. Ability to research and pay close attention to detail.

Ethics, integrity, confidentiality and sound professional judgment. An appreciation of diversity and the benefits of a commitment to cultural awareness and sensitivity in the workplace.

The ability to work efficiently and effectively in a detailed and deadline oriented high-pressure environment. Experience working with diverse populations and providing complex services.

Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, using language that is appropriate to both the complexity of the topic and the knowledge and understanding of the audience.

Excellent organizational skills interpersonal skills. Commitment to maintaining strict confidentiality. Detail oriented;

innovative, accountable and poised in fast paced team oriented environment. Ability to be accurate, timely, and very detail oriented.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to multi-task and prioritize work flow with multiple high priority deadlines.

Application Process Application Materials & Procedures Complete application packages must include the following : Tacoma Community College online application form.

Resume and cover letter - In your cover letter, describe how your background and experience align with the responsibilities for this position.

Copies of transcripts for all colleges and universities attended. Terms of Employment This is a full-time classified position scheduled to work Monday through Friday during the academic year.

Summer schedule will be Monday through Thursday, 10-hour days. Flexibility in scheduling is required to meet department needs and some evening / weekend hours may be required.

The salary range $3,643 to $4,865 per month. Degrees must be from accredited colleges or universities recognized by the U.

S. Department of Education and verified by National Student Clearinghouse. The College offers a generous benefits package to include : life, health, dental, and long-term disability insurance, retirement, vacation and sick leave and holiday pay.

A collective bargaining agreement exists and membership in the Washington Federation of State Employees or payment of a service fee is available anytime upon employment.

The layoff unit for this position is "All Other WFSE Classified". Tacoma Community College values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator.

Tacoma Community College provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, religion, or status as a veteran of war.

Prohibited sex discrimination includes sexual harassment (unwelcome sexual conduct of various types). Provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students, employees, and applicants with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Federal Rehabilitation Act.

The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies : Stephen Smith, Title VII and Title IX, Building 14, 253-566-5055;

Kathryn Held, Section 504 Officer, Building 7, 253-566-5328. This recruitment announcement does not reflect the entire job description and can be changed and or modified without notice.

Tacoma Community CollegeHuman Resources6501 S 19th St Bldg. 14, Tacoma, WA 98466 www.tacomacc.edu / about / employment The benefits information presented on this page is a summary of College provided benefits.

This information is subject to change and is subject to the provisions of any legislative mandates and College policy changes.

For more detailed information about Tacoma Community College (TCC) benefits, please do not hesitate to contact the College benefits coordinator at (253) 566-5024.

TCC offers a comprehensive benefits package which include medical, dental, life insurance, and long- term disability insurance through the Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB), along with retirement benefits through TIAA and the Department of Retirement SystemEligibilityFull-time faculty, classified staff, administrators and professional staff are eligible for benefits.

Hourly employees and part-time faculty may be eligible for benefits if, and when, they meet specific criteria and are notified by TCC Human Resources.

Effective Date of CoverageCoverage begins the first day of the month following the date of hire, or date of achieving eligibility status.

If the date of hire is the first working day of the month, coverage begins immediately.Health InsuranceMedical PlansEligible employees have several medical plan options to select from (provided by PEBB).

Employees pay a monthly premium through payroll deduction.Premium Rates Effective January 1, 2024Resources : PEBB WebsiteMedical Plan informationPEBB Medical Plan Comparison Dental Plans Employees choose from three dental plans.

TCC covers the full dental premium for employees and enrolled dependents.Resource : Dental Plan ComparisonVisionCovered under medical plan chosen.

Waiving Medical CoverageIf you have other employer-based medical insurance, Medicare or TRICARE, you have the option to waive PEBB medical coverage.

Dental is mandatory for all eligible employees and cannot be waived, unless enrolled in dental coverage as a dependent under a SEBB (School District Employee Benefits Board) plan.

Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA) & Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) & LimitedPurpose FSAFSA & DCAP accounts allow employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars to cover out-of-pocket health care and / or childcare expenses.

Members of WFSE (HE CCC) and WPEA, will be eligible to receive a $250 FSA card if employed as of November 1, 2023 with an annual full-time equivalent salary of less than $60,000, and is enrolled in a non-CDHP medical plan as of January 1 of the plan year that FSA funds are made available.

This card isissued by PEBB in the following January and does not count against the annual FSA limit, if enrolled in an FSA with Navia.

The Limited Purpose FSA is eligible for employees who are enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) that has a Health Savings Account.

The Limited Purpose FSA is only for dental and vision expenses.Resource : Navia Benefit SolutionsLife InsuranceBenefits eligible employees, lawful spouse or same-sex domestic partner, 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 the employee.

Supplemental Life Insurance Coverage(s) : Any supplemental term life insurance and AD&D coverage for employee, lawful spouse, qualified same-sex domestic partner, and family is available at additional cost to the employee.

Resource : MetLife Life InsuranceLong Term Disability(LTD)Basic LTD : Provides 60% of the first $400 pre-disability earnings, reduced by any deductible income at no cost to the employee.

Supplemental LTD : Supplemental LTD coverage to replace at 60% or 50% of full pre-disability earnings is available at an additional cost to the employee.

Resource : PEBB Long-Term Disability InsurancePAID LEAVEClassified staff, Administrators, and Professional staff are eligible for paid vacation, sick leave, and personal leave, along with paid federal holidays.

Classified Monthly vacation entitlement amounts can vary from 11.33 to 16.67 hours per month depending on the length of state service.

Administrator / Exempt Professional vacation leave is 16.00 hours per month. Monthly sick leave entitlement is 8.00 hours per month based on 100% FTE position and will be prorated accordingly if less than 100% FTE.

Annual personal leave entitlement varies depending on employee type. Full-time classified, administrators, and professional staff are paid for all federal holidays.

Full-time faculty receive 84.00 hours of paid sick leave per academic year along with 28.00 hours of personal leave. Full-time faculty are paid on an annual contract and do not receive pay for federal holidays.

Part-time faculty receive sick leave each quarter using a formula based on the total FTE% from the cumulative teaching contracts issued to them that quarter.

They would receive 7.00 hours of personal leave if they are issued a multi-quarter appointment at the start of the academic year.

Part-time faculty do not receive pay for federal holidays.Part-time hourly and student employees receive 1 hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked in a month (and fractions, thereof).

Up to 40 hours of sick leave can carry over from one calendar year to the next.If a part-time hourly or student employee is hired into a full-time position, the sick leave hours earned in the part-time position do not carry over to the full-time position.

Part-time hourly and student employees are not paid for federal holidays.Monthly entitlements are given at the beginning of the following month.

All employees in salaried positions may take up to five days of paid bereavement time off for the death of a family member.

This is separate from the sick leave or vacation leave.RETIREMENTRetirement participation is mandatory for retirement benefit eligible TCC employees.

Employees are offered a choice between two retirement plans and that choice is generally irrevocable while employed at TCC.

Classified Employees and (retirement eligible) Part-Time hourly : Classified employees and eligible part-time hourly employees must choose between the Public Employees Retirement Systems (PERS) Plan 2 or Plan 3.

More information about these plans can be found at this link : Department of Retirement Systems PlansFaculty : Faculty can choose to enroll in the State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP) with the plan administrator being TIAA or the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan 2 or Plan 3 administered by the Department of Retirement System (DRS).

Prior history in any of these plans may limit current plan choice. Click here to compare TRS Plan 2, TRS Plan 3, and SBRP.

SBRP -TIAA This is a Defined Contribution Plan. The employee contributes a mandatory defined amount and the state matches the employee’s contributions.

Contribution rates are based on age.TRS Plan 2 A 401(a) defined benefit plan. TCC and employee contribute a percentage of salary to fund the plan.

Your monthly benefit at retirement will be based on your earned service credit and compensation.TRS Plan 3 A 401(a) hybrid plan with Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution components.

The defined contribution portion of the plan is funded through mandatory employee contributions. The employee may choose between six contribution options.

TCC contributes to Defined Benefit part.Administrative / Exempt EmployeesAdministrators and Exempt employees may choose to participate in the State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP), administered by TIAA, or the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 or Plan 3, administered by the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS).

Prior history in a Washington State Retirement Plan may limit plan choice. Click here to compare PERS Plan 2, PERS Plan 3, and SBRP.

SBRP / TIAA This is a 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan. The employee contributes a mandatory defined amount and the state matches the employee’s contributions.

Contribution rates are based on age.PERS Plan 2 A 401(a) defined benefit plan. TCC and employee contribute a percentage of salary to fund the plan.

Your monthly benefit at retirement will be based on your earned service credit and compensation.PERS Plan 3 A 401(a) hybrid plan with Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution components.

The defined contribution portion of the plan is funded through mandatory employee contributions. The employee may choose between six contribution options.

TCC contributes to Defined Benefit part.PERS Rates Effective September 1, 2023TRS Rates Effective September 1, 2023. State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP) - Contributions Rates : Contributions are based on your age : Voluntary Retirement Savings : State Board Voluntary Investment Program (SBVIP) : SBVIP is a voluntary, optional, unmatched retirement savings plan, operating under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), administered by TIAA.

SBVIP participants may contribute on a pre-tax and / or after-tax (Roth) basis, up to the annual IRS limit and can start and stop their contributions at any time during employment.

Contact Human Resources to start / stop contributions. Deferred Compensation Program (DCP) : Tax-deferred savings plan administered by the Department of Retirement Systems.

New Full-timeemployees are automatically enrolled in DCP 3 months after hire at a contribution rate of 3%. Employees are sent a notification letter within approximately 30 days of hire.

This notice includes information about auto-enrollment and the necessary steps to take if one chooses to opt-out or make changes to their DCP enrollment.

Contributions can be changed at any time during employment. Following the initial auto- enrollment possibility, employees would contact DRS to setup contributions and can contribute on a pre- tax basis up to the annual IRS limit.

Tuition WaiverAdministrative, Classified, Full-time Faculty, and Part-Time faculty employed for more than 50% FTE are eligible to register for space-available classes, up to 10 credits per quarter, with the State Employee Tuition Waiver program.

Class registration and any applicable class fee will still apply. Click here for the Tuition Waiver form(Download PDF reader).

Liberty MutualPEBB members may receive a discount of up to 12% off Liberty Mutual’s auto insurance rates and up to 5% off of Liberty Mutual’s home insurance rates.

Contact Liberty Mutual at 1-800-706-5525 and mention that you are a State of Washington PEBB Member (client #8246) or visit a local Liberty Mutual office and let them know you are State of Washington PEBB Member (client #8246) for a quote.

Collective Bargaining Agreements : WFSE Higher Education Community College Coalition : WFSE (HE CCC) CBA(Download PDF reader)WPEA Higher Education : WPEA CBA(Download PDF reader)WFSE Represented Exempt Bargaining Unit : WFSE-Exempt CBATCC Faculty Negotiated Agreement : TCC Faculty Negotiated Agreement 01 Which best describes your level of education?

High School graduate or equivalent Some College Associates degree from an accredited college or university Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university Masters degree or higher from an accredited college or university 02 How much experience do you have working in a financial aid office, or related office?

None. Less than 1 year More than 1 year and less than 2 years More than 2 years and less than 3 years More than 3 years and less than 4 years Over 4 years 03 Which of the following best describes your level of proficiency with wordprocessing, spreadsheet and email software (Microsoft Office preferred)?

None Beginning Intermediate Advanced Required Question