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PA Program Specialist - Eligibility Review
Administrative / Clerical
PHEAA is a nonprofit student aid organization that holds a mission of providing affordable access to higher education.
Salary: Grade 12, Commensurate with experience starting at $41,117.00
Shift: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM - Hybrid 2 days a week onsite.
Location: 1200 North 7th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102.
Department: State Grant & Special Programs
JOB PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
This role is responsible for the daily processing, analysis, and quality review of department work. This includes, but is not limited to, complex eligibility reviews related to the PA State Grant and all Special Programs administered by PHEAA. This position validates a PA State Grant recipients’ or a state or federal Special Program recipients’ eligibility for grant reconsideration through verification of the eligibility points as provided by the student record from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, recipient and school. Post disbursement verification and continued eligibility requirements being met at a student and institutional level are included in the validation.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Integrity and Quality Control
Independently examine State Grant and Special Program applicants/recipient requests for consideration of eligibility for a grant. To include validating eligibility criteria, collecting/requesting, interpreting, and resolving account documentation/discrepancies to make sound decisions regarding eligibility.
Concisely communicate decisions of eligibility and respond to customer inquiries via electronic mail, USPS mail and telephone.
Work with external and internal stakeholders by reviewing requests and communicating resolutions.
Research, analyze and perform reviews and tasks that may lead to upholding or reversing eligibility decisions made on recipient accounts.
Respond on behalf of the Agency to internal and external customers after researching, communicating, and resolving program-related issues.
Process and analyze system-edit flag reports to resolve data integrity issues potentially associated with system failures which require collaboration with DTS, as necessary.
Access Department of Education’s web applications to monitor and verify relevant information needed to review cases and validate critical information used for decision-making to include but not limited to Default and enrollment status.
Process system generated reports identifying errors on student accounts due to system edits flagging suspicious accounts and providing analysis and trending to SGSP management to include proposed system and program enhancements.
Perform program integrity audits and reviews specific to high-risk populations.
Support Institutional Review’s Program Reviews by providing confirmation all student populations extracted for audit were properly awarded funds based on student eligibility reviews (financial and non-financial) and school processes and records. To include but not limited to domicile, high school, citizenship, assets and income, veteran, financial independence, and legal independent reviews.
Member of the Grant Refund Collection (GRC) team responsible for GRC write-ups, GRC letters, validation of refund due, billing support, legal case support, and creation of GRC record in the system.
Student and program advocacy to improve procedures and program guidelines.
Support/perform Quality Control (QC) functions for all programs administered by the department.
Support/perform Quality Assurance (QA) functions for inbound/outbound phone calls.
Research escalated disbursement discrepancies and provide resolution/update accounts accordingly.
Review procedure changes and make recommendations for process improvement.
Research school related inquiries and provide resolution including making recommendations for process improvement.
Assistance request review and trending including recommendations for improvement.
Report Trending and Analysis
Create and analyze monthly reports delivered to SGSP management for process improvement and strategic decisioning.
Software testing for report functionality
Create reports for populations identified through trending and analysis of high-risk groups.
Required Skills
Associates degree and four plus years of State Grant, Special Programs, and experience or the equivalent combination of skills, experience and/or certification(s).
Detail oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities within deadlines.
Demonstrated strong analytical skills.
Knowledge of appeal processes.
Persistent follow up skills to deliver results timely.
Strong organizational and communication skills.
Customer service orientation.
Proficient skills with Microsoft Office 365, HERA, PageCenter, Filenet.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Perform work required for this position in an office or remote environment and/or via remote or hybrid arrangement.
Remain sedentary for extended periods of time.
ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Develop and maintain operational and analytical procedures and reporting.
Comply with the Agency’s enterprise security and privacy policies and departmental procedures.
Train and educate staff on Agency/Department of Education processes and systems.
Other duties as assigned.
PHEAA’s environment welcomes and supports our employees, customers, and stakeholders; we seek out and value differing perspectives and contributions.
Required Experience
Associates degree and four plus years of State Grant, Special Programs, and experience or the equivalent combination of skills, experience and/or certification(s).
This position is located at 1200 N 7th Street, Harrisburg, PA. View the Google Map in full screen.