Our January Team Spotlight features Cathy Demchak, who joined College Aid Services in 2024. Most recently, Cathy served as a Financial Aid Audit Supervisor at McClintock and Associates, where she managed all aspects of the auditing process. Prior to that, she held pivotal roles at Carnegie Mellon University and Heinz College. Throughout her career, Cathy has been instrumental in developing institutional policies and ensuring compliance. A NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator, she brings extensive expertise in Administrative Capability, Consumer Information, and Professional Judgment.
Cathy holds an Associate’s degree in Business Management from Community College of Allegheny County, a Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies and Employment Relations, and a Master of Education in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University.
What do you like most about being a consultant?
What I love about being a consultant is the flexibility that it gives me in my work week and the opportunity to work all over the country while meeting new people along the way. I like to meet people and support them through the challenges that their institutions are facing; especially since the issues are never really the same. You are processing federal verifications one minute, then you are counseling families to help them understand their financial aid packages and before you know it, you are preparing P&P manuals.
What do you enjoy about working for College Aid Services?
College Aid Services is a company that has a great foundation, solid and reliable. The people here are friendly, respectful, and ready to jump in to help whenever you need. I have met a lot of great financial aid professionals here that I would not have met otherwise and I appreciate being able to work with genuine people that I can work or learn from each day.
What areas do you specialize in?
In a previous position, I was an auditor, so compliance and performing audits are a large part of my skillset. Customer service was another area that I thrived in because I feel that assisting families is at the core of what we do in Financial Aid and I went the extra mile to ensure that we met their needs. Even though I had less and less interactions with students as I progressed in my career, I emphasize the importance of providing great service to those we serve in the field.
How do you stay up to date with regulations and policy changes?
Webinars, webinars, and more webinars; especially the ones that College Aid Services hosts each month. I also find that drawing knowledge from the people you work with each day is the best way to stay up to date with the many changes that occur in Financial Aid. I learned this during critical periods in our industry like when federal direct loans were introduced or when we had to process everything from home during the pandemic. We are never truly experts, just doing our best to stay ahead of what’s coming up next.
What challenges do you see on the horizon in Financial Aid?
I think staffing will continue to be a challenge in many financial aid offices. It appears the financial aid industry has entered a period in which financial aid offices need to rebuild their staff base. Once the foundation is built, these offices can gain efficiency and stability through investing in their staff with things like mentoring and training.
Regulation changes have a long history of always being on the horizon. These changes keep financial aid professionals on their toes as processes, terminology and definitions change.
What advice would you give to a new Financial Aid officer?
My advice to a new Financial Aid Officer would be to remember the significant role you play in the success of others. For your students, you are an important part of the journey that gets them to their education goal. Whether it is explaining their funding options; helping them through difficult times, like SAP or R2T4; or just giving them an encouraging word to help them through a difficult day. For your co-workers, you are an inspiration. A new staff member can bring fresh ideas, unique and diverse experiences, and long-term value to a team.
What do you like to do outside of your profession?
I like to read mystery suspense books (the lighthearted ones). I like to bake (mostly cookies). I like to spend time with my family and our dog. We like doing outdoor things like camping and boating. One of my bucket list items is to visit all the National Parks (or most of the 63)!
If you are interested in joining Cathy and the rest of our College Aid Services team, review our current openings here. To learn more about how College Aid Services can help your institution, contact us at info@collegeaidservices.net or by phone toll-free at 833-GETCAS1 (833-438-2271).