Program Specialist Iii - Doe

Program Specialist III - Doe

This position performs duties under the limited supervision of the Educational Policy Analyst-SES in the State Scholarships, Loans & Grants Section within the Office of Student Financial Assistance, Division of Finance and Operations of the Department of Education. Position is responsible for coordinating the administration of state scholarships and grant programs. Duties include maintaining contact with institutions and students pertaining to complex issues on financial assistance awards.

This position also recommends system enhancements to continually provide pertinent information on State Programs for management and constituent use. The employee must be productive under tight time frames, balance multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance sometimes under stressful conditions. The employee must interact courteously with others. The performance and behavior of all employees must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit.

Attendance is an essential function of this position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish and maintain a computerized database to manage data on applicants for financial assistance programs funded by state and federal sources including scholarships, grants, tuition reimbursement, and loan forgiveness programs.
• Evaluate applicant data and information to determine eligibility, make awards, and ensure timely and accurate disbursement of funds to all eligible award recipients.
• Direct and coordinate processing of documents pertaining to specific state administered financial aid programs including award letters, rejection letters, refunds, and verification forms to ensure the meeting of program requirements.
• Develop and maintain statistical and demographic reports on program applicants and recipients to provide a current snapshot of the program at any given period.
• Evaluate and recommend system improvements, such as revised forms, procedures, and type of information collected, for greater program efficiency.
• Provide technical assistance and communicate verbally and in writing on program requirements to applicants, parents, institutions, and other interested parties on complex financial aid issues including policy interpretation, appeal consideration, and judgments on eligible programs of study, interpretation of statutes, rules, regulations, and explanation of office procedures.
• Assist with the development of informational and technical documents and program applications.
• Assist with the development and response to surveys, collection, and analysis of student financial assistance data, and with the forecasting of participation and budgetary requirements.
• Evaluate program policies and operating procedures, and draft recommendations for improvements.
• Prepare, review, and evaluate program data and reports.
• Assist in the development of rules and legislation for student financial assistance programs.
• Analyze and recommend to supervisor changes that may be needed in program rules or statutory authority and draft proposed language or review proposals made by others.
• Monitor disbursements to ensure that awards do not exceed budget authority and assist supervisor in preparation of budget requests.
• Provide technical assistance to institutions on the delivery of funds, award revisions, applicant eligibility, and interpretation of statutes, rules and regulations.
• Assists with managing the Dual Enrollment Scholarship program (DES) and the Dual Enrollment Educator Scholarship Program (DEESP).
• Assists supervisor in management of the disbursement related functions for all programs in the Centralized Programs unit and acts as a resource person for the unit in the supervisor's absence.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, skills and abilities, including utilization of equipment, required for the position:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of planning, administering or evaluating educational programs.
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of effective communication.
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection.
• Ability to be productive under tight time frames, balance multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal-Ability to work and perform under stressful conditions.
• Ability to work and perform under stressful conditions.
• Ability to demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit.
• Ability to work independently and perform tasks and responsibilities with limited guidance and direction.
• Ability to work as a team or individually on assignments.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate data.
• Ability to assess budgetary needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others and communicate effectively.
• Ability to communicate highly technical information verbally…