PeopleSoft Financial Aid (FA) Expert

Client: University of Maryland (UMD)
Engagement Type: Contract (1 year+, with possible extension)
Work Mode: 100% Remote

Position Overview

The University of Maryland (UMD) is seeking a highly experienced PeopleSoft Financial Aid (FA) expert to support critical automation initiatives and business process enhancements within the Campus Solutions environment. This role requires a blend of deep functional expertise in Financial Aid operations and advanced technical proficiency in the PeopleSoft Equation Engine.

The selected candidate will collaborate directly with university leadership and Financial Aid stakeholders to design, implement, and optimize solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and compliance across the aid lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and troubleshoot complex equations using the PeopleSoft Equation Engine to support financial aid packaging, eligibility determination, and fund management.

• Analyze and optimize the full Financial Aid lifecycle, including ISIR processing, verification, awarding/packaging, and disbursement.

• Configure and maintain PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Financial Aid module to align with institutional policies and federal regulations.

• Translate federal and institutional financial aid regulations into system-driven logic and automated workflows.

• Serve as a liaison between IT teams and Financial Aid departments to gather requirements, provide functional guidance, and deliver effective solutions.

• Identify process inefficiencies and propose scalable automation strategies to improve operational performance.

• Support critical timelines, including peak financial aid cycles and system upgrades, ensuring timely and accurate delivery.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, specifically within the Financial Aid module.

• Expert-level proficiency in the PeopleSoft Equation Engine.

• Strong understanding of the end-to-end Financial Aid business lifecycle.

• Proven ability to interpret and implement federal financial aid regulations within system configurations.

• Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams, including business stakeholders and technical teams.

• Track record of delivering high-quality results under tight deadlines.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within higher education institutions.

• Prior involvement in large-scale Financial Aid system implementations or upgrades.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on automation and scalability.