James Chiara

James Chiara joined College Aid Services in 2024 as a Consultant for Technology Support Services, bringing a strong technical skill set and a keen eye for compliance to the clients he serves.

James began his career in higher education in 2011 as a financial aid advisor at a technical college in Georgia. Throughout his career, he has effectively balanced roles in compliance and systems management, leveraging his expertise in SQL and the Ellucian Banner system to ensure operational compliance at his institutions.

In 2019, James became the Director of Financial Aid at Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC). At the time, GPTC was undergoing a program review from the Department of Education that had resulted in HCM2 status. James played a crucial role in leading the institution to a clean audit and successfully removing the HCM2 status within eight months. He achieved this by completely reconfiguring the Ellucian Banner system that managed financial aid and by designing reports to ensure quality assurance for the new procedures he implemented. This accomplishment led to his promotion to the system office, where he now serves as the point of contact for financial aid compliance across the 22 institutions in the system.

James uses his deep understanding of SQL and proficiency in Ellucian Banner to predict and prevent compliance gaps before they occur. His expertise has made him a valuable resource, frequently called upon to visit colleges with system deficiencies or sudden leadership departures to help stabilize operations and redesign systems.

Currently, James serves as the legislative chair for the Georgia Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators (GASFAA) for 2023-2024. He is a seasoned presenter at conferences and training sessions, sharing his knowledge on compliance, SQL, and the Ellucian Banner system, as well as how to conduct internal audits that prepare colleges for federal program reviews.

James holds a Bachelor of Science from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee (2008).