"Financial Aid Advisor"

Job Summary

Advises prospective, new and returning students of financial aid opportunities and requirements. In collaboration with the Coordinator, Customer Service, ensures the Campus Financial Aid Offices are operating efficiently, delivering excellent customer service, and increased customer satisfaction and student success.

Essential Functions

• Provide quality customer service to students and families.
• Comply with all Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.
• Provide students with accurate information regarding the financial aid application and award process.
• Adhere to customer service plan requirements.
• Attend all mandatory trainings, meetings and requests additional assistance when needed. Trainings may include, but are not limited to, traveling to various HCC locations including the District Office for extended lengths of time.
• Stay abreast of regulatory changes and ensure the information provided to students is accurate and up-to-date.
• Assist students and their families in a timely and professional manner.
• Ensure students feel welcomed in the Financial Aid Office and are treated with the highest level of respect, professionalism, and integrity.
• Assist parents and students with the financial aid application process and addresses questions or concerns, using various communication methods (email, phone, in-person, text, etc.).
• Attend and provide Financial Aid information at HCC College events, high school workshops and other external community events. This includes evening and weekend events.
• Provide students with a confidential setting (if requested) and ensure that sensitive matters are treated appropriately.
• Work with other departments and process appeals, dependency overrides, and special circumstance requests accurately and timely to enable the student to be academically successful.
• Enter data into information management system accurately and in accordance to office policies and procedures.
• Handle difficult customers professionally and with respect.
• Assist the student workers in the Financial Aid Office with questions, concerns or unresolved student issues.
• Provide coverage and leadership at various HCC Financial Aid Office locations as needed.
• Respond to District staff inquiries in a timely, respectful, and professional manner.
• Assist the Representatives, Front Desk Customer Service with questions, concerns or unresolved student issues.
• Assists the Coordinator, Customer Service in monitoring and evaluating the customer feedback system to help resolve student issues.
• Respond to student and parent complaints, and works with the Coordinators, Customer Service to address all complaints in a timely manner.
• May have to work beyond the normal schedule (i.e. evenings and weekends).
• Perform other duties, tasks and assignments as required.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree required
• 2 years of professional work experience in a Student Financial Aid Office required; experience must be recent, within last 3 years (i.e., awarding financial aid, counseling/advising, accounting, federal/state administration, etc.)
• Experience working with security sensitive and confidential records
• Experience in a call center or fast paced customer service-related environment is preferred

Licensing & Certification

• Valid Texas Driver License

Special Skills

• MS Office Programs
• Information Management Systems
• Budget Management
• Federal, State and Institutional Financial Aid Programs

Competencies

• Delivering High Quality Work
• Accepting Responsibility
• Serving Customers
• Supporting Organizational Goals
• Driving Continuous Improvement
• Acting with Integrity
• Thinking Critically
• Managing Change
• Communicating Effectively

Working Conditions

General Office. Must be able to perform all job requirements with or without reasonable accommodations; remain in a stationary position during shift; move items weighing up to 25 pounds; position self to operate job equipment; apply established protocols in a timely manner. Must access, input and retrieve information from technology devices; communicate with others to accomplish job requirements. May be required to work after hours to include weekends and holidays.

Security Sensitive

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215