Cathy Demchak

Cathy Demchak joined College Aid Services as a Consultant in 2024. With a strong background in the financial aid industry, Cathy brings a wealth of experience to her role. Early in her career, she realized her work could significantly impact not only students’ lives but also the Higher Education Institutions she served and the broader financial aid profession. Cathy understands that positive student experiences and interactions are crucial for academic success.

Cathy began her financial aid career at Carnegie Mellon University where she held progressively responsible roles. Most notably, she served as the Associate Director of Financial Aid and Compliance. In this position, she was a key member of the management team, ensuring compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations. She also played a pivotal role in planning, developing, and implementing office policies and procedures, and provided leadership and training to all financial aid staff.

After her tenure at Carnegie Mellon, Cathy became a Financial Aid Audit Supervisor at McClintock and Associates. There, she managed all aspects of financial aid audits, utilized various financial aid management software such as Banner, Campus Ivy, Campus Nexus, CampusVue, and PowerFAIDS, and provided leadership and training to audit staff.

Throughout her career, Cathy has developed expertise in key areas of financial aid, such as administrative capability, application processing, student eligibility, verification, professional judgment, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and Return of Title IV funds. She is a NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator (FAAC®) and holds additional NASFAA credentials in Administrative Capability, Consumer Information, Professional Judgment, Return of Title IV Funds, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and Student Eligibility.

Cathy excels in building and maintaining professional relationships, both internally and externally, as evidenced by her long-standing, positive relationships with financial aid professionals and industry-related colleagues. She is known for her thoughtful problem-solving skills and deep understanding of the importance and value of collaboration in the problem-solving process. Cathy is adept at identifying the need for new processes, developing them, and creating the necessary resource documentation to improve efficiency. She is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and insights with her colleagues and clients.

Cathy is an active member of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (PASFAA) and serves on various committees within the organization. She has presented numerous times over the last twenty-three years at the annual PASFAA conference on a variety of industry related and professional development topics.

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, both from Pennsylvania State University.