Maria J Fernandez
Harrison,NJ
Summary
I am an innovative leader with a career in financial aid as well as background in the registrar’s office. I demonstrate outstanding performance in student service, financial responsibility, and operations. I have superior interpersonal, communication, organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills which allow me to foster successful teamwork with students, staff, and administration. I am looking for a position that will continue to evolve professionally while maintaining satisfaction with uncompromising ethics.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Director of Financial Aid
Union College of Union County
04.2023 - Current
- Give support in the day-to-day operations of student financial aid services that includes administering a very large financial aid program while ensuring compliance with all funding source requirements
- Accountable for NJHESAA grants (TAG, EOF, NJSTARS, NJBEST, CCOG)
- Counsel students and parents on financial aid and budgeting issues
- Read, interpret, communicate, and administer federal and state regulations and College policies as they apply to financial aid
- Notifies other college departments of federal and state requirements for participation in applicable aid programs
- Manage and perform monthly and year end reconciliation of State programs with the NJHESAA, Colleague, and the Finance Department
- Administer of Return to Title IV (RT24) calculations, ensuring correct completion in a timely manner and ensuring the conformance with College and federal regulations
- Experience of federal, state, and College scholarship and financial aid regulations, policies, procedures, and practices.
Student Services Specialist- Financial Aid Department
Union College of Union County
11.2021 - 03.2023
- Counseling students and families regarding Financial Aid programs, reviews eligibility criteria for all sources of aid, describe financial aid policies to students, parent and other campus constituents
- Validate, evaluate and interpret documents submitted by students for financial aid programs; initiates follow up with applicants for clarification or additional documentation
- Direct financial aid workshops and presentations on related topics such as completing the FAFSA, financial literacy, satisfactory academic progress and updates to financial aid programs
- Modifies financial aid packages based on changes in enrollment level, budget adjustments, and additional aid
- Assisting with the following reports when the designated specialist is out, Pell reject report, COD reject, CDMR (CODE missing response), CODE process export, DOIE (Department of Ed import), assistance with Award eligibility variance report
- Work together with other student service areas to provide a comprehensive and dynamic customer service environment for students.
Assistant Director/ Educational Opportunity Fund & Graduate Student Financial Aid Counselor
Saint Peter’s University
01.2020 - 11.2021
- Provided information to students and their families regarding Financial Aid programs
- Supported students with resolution of unusual problems and adjusted as appropriate
- Interpreted, implemented, and maintained up-to-date knowledge of Federal and State guidelines governing financial aid regulations
- Evaluated, verified, and processed applications and supporting documents in accordance with established guidelines to determine Financial Aid eligibility in coordination with Assistant Director
- Revised income eligibility of all EOF applicants, posting scholar grants, providing financial aid presentations, generating financial aid reports
- Prepared Financial Aid packages, including grants and loan certification in coordination with Director Assistant Director
- Organized and reviewed reports such as DOIE (Department of Ed import) including monitoring expenditures and reconciling data as well as responsible for Pell reject report, COD reject, CDMR (CODE missing response), CODE process export.
Student Services Specialist
Union College Of Union County, NJ
01.2017 - 12.2019
- Counseling students and families regarding Financial Aid programs, reviews eligibility criteria for all sources of aid, describe financial aid policies to students, parent and other campus constituents.
- Validate, evaluate and interpret documents submitted by students for financial aid programs; initiates follow up with applicants for clarification or additional documentation.
- Direct financial aid workshops and presentations on related topics such as completing the FAFSA, financial literacy, satisfactory academic progress and updates to financial aid programs.
- Modifies financial aid packages based on changes in enrollment level, budget adjustments, and additional aid.
- Assisting with the following reports when the designated specialist is out, Pell reject report, COD reject, CDMR (CODE missing response), CODE process export, DOIE (Department of Ed import), assistance with Award eligibility variance report.
- Work together with other student service areas to provide a comprehensive and dynamic customer service environment for students.
Human Resources Assistant
GABRIEL & CO
09.2016 - 01.2017
- Processed payroll
- Compensation plans and employee benefit programs
- Recruited using Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter
- Point of contact for new employees
- Posted journal entries and reconciling the general ledger
- Bank and credit reconciliations by using QuickBooks
- Assisted in preparing accounting worksheets and narratives, including 'Budget vs
- Actual' Variance reports
- Bookkeeping.
Enrollment Specialist
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
03.2008 - 10.2012
- Assisted students with registration, adding and dropping of courses, letters of transient permission and other various student inquiries
- Processed requests for course registration overrides, transcripts, program evaluations, transfer credits, changing majors, assigning advisors, issuing statement of accounts, answering phones, scanning, grade changes, classroom assignments
- Completed transcript evaluations for students transferring from other institutions
- Respond to email and phone correspondence with students, staff, faculty, and the community
- Worked directly with Registrar assisting with EVAL review and all the graduation process
- Maintains the integrity and security of academic records
- Performs other duties as assigned by the University Registrar Issue new and replacement ID cards, assign building access and add monetary value to the card.
Education
Master of Science in Accountancy - Risk Management
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
Jersey City, NJ05.2016
Master of Business Administration - Human Resources
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
Jersey City, NJ05.2015
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration -
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
Jersey City, NJ08.2012
Skills
- Ellucian Colleague
- COD, NSLDS/CPS for FAA/EdConnect/SAIG
- HESAA NJFAMS
- Business Objects
- ConedEx
- AwardSpring
- Zoom/Cisco WebEx
- Financial Aid Literacy
- Title IV regulatory compliance
- Higher Education Knowledge
Affiliations
- NJASFAA
- EASFAA
- NASFAA
- AAWCC
Adjunct Professor
Union College of Union County, NJ
Timeline
Associate Director of Financial Aid
Union College of Union County
04.2023 - Current
Student Services Specialist- Financial Aid Department
Union College of Union County
11.2021 - 03.2023
Assistant Director/ Educational Opportunity Fund & Graduate Student Financial Aid Counselor
Saint Peter’s University
01.2020 - 11.2021
Student Services Specialist
Union College Of Union County, NJ
01.2017 - 12.2019
Human Resources Assistant
GABRIEL & CO
09.2016 - 01.2017
Enrollment Specialist
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
03.2008 - 10.2012
Master of Science in Accountancy - Risk Management
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
Master of Business Administration - Human Resources
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration -
SAINT PETER’S UNIVERSITY
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