Jeanne Mahan

I came to College Coach with 20 years of experience working in financial aid offices. As a financial aid coordinator at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, I reviewed and awarded financial aid files, worked with graduate students on financial literacy, and awarded scholarships, among other responsibilities. I also worked extensively with students as they neared graduation and faced the daunting task of repaying their student loans. I found this the most rewarding part of my job because I could help a student who was overwhelmed with the prospect of repaying their debt feel a sense of relief after reviewing their options. At the community college level, I was introduced to a wide array of federal and state financial aid programs. The student population was both traditional (18-22 year olds) and non-traditional (adults starting a degree, returning to complete one, or updating skills) and included people from the local community and many foreign countries.