Financial Aid Advisor

PRIMARY PURPOSE/GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid and working closely with the Associate Director of Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Advisor has primary responsibility for advising and counseling prospective students, current students and parents on all aspects of the financial aid application process and financial literacy. The Financial Aid Advisor has administrative responsibility for various financial aid programs and processes.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

This information is intended to be a descriptive of the key responsibilities of the position. The list of essential functions below does not identify all duties performed by any single incumbent in this position. Perform other duties as assigned.

• Provides in-person, online, and phone counseling to prospective students, current students, and parents on all aspects of financial aid application processing, need analysis, appeal processing, and packaging, including information on institutional, federal, and state financial aid programs.
• Responds to all phone and email inquiries escalated by the Financial Aid Specialist.
• Responsible for performing online queries, corrections, and updates to Department of Education Systems including Central Origination and Disbursement System (COD), The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and the FAFSA Partner Portal (FPP).
• Responsible for all non-federal alternative loan and institutional loan, coordination, certification, promissory note, disbursement processing, and monthly reconciliation.
• Responsible for the coordination with the Student Loan Department in the Claremont College Services (TCCS) concerning the approval, disbursement, adjustment, and counseling for institutional loans.
• Provides students with one-on-one and group financial literacy, loan entrance and loan exit counseling for federal and institutional loan programs.
• Responsible for all aspects of Outside Agency Scholarship and Tuition Remission certification, enrollment verification, aid coordination, disbursement processing, and monthly reconciliation.
• Responsible for reviewing and resolving file load errors and merging duplicate system records.
• Assists and acts as back up to Assistant Director for loading ISIR, Profile and IDOC files.
• Assist the Financial Aid Specialist with loading of bi-weekly student payroll reports to the PowerFAIDs financial aid management system, as needed. Identifying students whose earnings are nearing or have reached the limit of the award and notifying the student and the employer of limitations on earnings.
• Assists the Financial Aid Assistant with collecting, tracking, and processing all Outside Agency Scholarship, Tuition Remission, State Grant, and Alternative Loan checks in the Workday Financials system, and securely routing all checks received for deposit by the Claremont College Services (TCCS) financial services staff.
• In consultation/coordination with the Associate Director of Financial Aid, maintain policy and procedure manual for this position.
• Assists financial aid senior staff with need analysis, verification, and packaging for prospective and continuing students, as needed.
• Participate in the Emergency Response Program.
• Active support for the College's Principles of Community and Institutional Values in the performance of job duties.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

Individual must possess knowledge, skills and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work successfully individually and as a member of a team.
• Ability to work with diverse populations.
• Ability to meet deadlines and to manage a demanding schedule.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Knowledge of federal, state and institutional financial aid programs, regulations, systems and policies, preferred.
• Experience in the use of automated financial aid systems software including: PowerFAIDs, NetPartner, EdConnect, On-Base, NSLDS, CPS Online, COD, CX and Workday systems preferred, but not required.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree or any combination of education, training or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and ability.

One to two years of financial aid or related experience is preferred.

Previous financial aid experience is preferred, including a thorough knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, systems, and processes, including Institutional Methodology (IM).

LICENSES / CERTIFICATES:

None.

OTHER:

HOURS & CLASSIFICATION AND STATUS:

This is a regular status, full-time, 12-month, benefits-eligible, non-exempt position.

The regular hours for this position are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Hours may vary due to the needs of the College or the department.

Hourly rate range: $25.00-$28.75. The hourly rate of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

None.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is quiet to moderate.

Physical and Mental Requirements

Ability to maintain good concentration level while dealing with interruptions; attention to details with emphasis on accuracy; capable of giving, receiving, and analyzing information, formulating work plans, and articulating goals and action plans.

Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time. Standing for extended periods of time. Reaching and extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than the whole hand(s), or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard. Communication skills using the spoken word. Ability to see within normal parameters. Ability to hear within normal parameters. Ability to bend and stoop, for example, to file. Ability to move about. Ability to lift and carry short distances up to 20 lbs., for example to lift or move office supplies, files, books and packages.

At-Will Employment

Regular employment at the College is for no specified period of time; conditions and status of employment (hours, pay, title, duties, etc.) are subject to change at any time. Scripps College is an At-Will employer. Employees, and likewise the College, are free to end the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without notice or cause, unless otherwise prohibited by law.