OCTC's Gogel Named Financial Aid Director

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (01/15/2026) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) has named Rosa Gogel as its new Director of Financial Aid. Gogel brings a strong record of leadership, collaboration, and student-centered service to the role, along with nearly a decade of experience supporting students through the financial aid process.

Gogel's career has been marked by a deep commitment to student engagement, cross-campus collaboration, and innovative strategies designed to improve access and persistence. Most recently, she served in a leadership role within the OCTC Financial Aid Office, where she helped guide a high-performing team dedicated to removing financial barriers for students.

As Director of Financial Aid, Gogel will oversee the administration of a $14.5 million financial aid budget and ensure regulatory compliance while supporting access to aid for thousands of OCTC students each year. Her leadership will play a crucial role in upholding the integrity of financial aid programs while enhancing the student experience.

The OCTC Financial Aid Office is focused on helping students successfully navigate enrollment and persistence challenges. One of its key initiatives is the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Mentorship Program, which pairs at-risk students with faculty and staff mentors to support academic success, improve retention, and encourage degree completion. The office also works closely with advising and academic departments to streamline enrollment processes, integrate financial aid policies into advising practices, and enhance communication with students through tools such as Signal Vine and PeopleSoft.

Gogel began her career in the OCTC Financial Aid Office in June 2017. She is an OCTC alumna, having earned an Associate of Science degree before completing a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Western Kentucky University.

Her experience in financial aid spans both student and professional roles. While attending OCTC, Gogel worked in the Financial Aid Office as a federal work-study student and later as a part-time employee. Prior to returning to OCTC full time, she served as a Financial Aid Counselor at Kentucky Wesleyan College, further strengthening her understanding of financial aid administration and student support.

Gogel's appointment reflects OCTC's ongoing commitment to student access, affordability, and success through effective financial aid leadership.

Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC

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Owensboro Community and Technical College

OCTC's Gogel Named Financial Aid Director

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Owensboro Community and Technical College

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