"Financial Aid Specialist"

Position Details

Lehman College, of The City University of New York, ranks among the top five institutions in the nation for fostering social mobility. A four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Bronx, Lehman offers bachelor’s, master’s, and advanced degrees and certificate programs in the Liberal Arts, sciences, and professions. The College’s community-driven mission and notable academic programs attract a diverse, international enrollment of over 15,000 students who take courses on its 37-acre, tree-lined campus and online degree programs. Many thousands more community members benefit yearly from its active cultural, educational, health, and economic outreach programs and services. Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Specialist will be responsible for the following duties:

• Review students New York State aid eligibility and verify them in CUNYfirst.
• Assist with all New York State aid certification - TAP, PTAP, APTS, Excelsior and other NY State aid programs.
• Coordinate semester-based training on New York State aid programs to all staff.
• Provide assistance to students, prospective students and families concerning financial aid information, eligibility and the application process; guide students to successfully obtain financial aid; and ensure students understand and comply with financial aid regulations and requirements.
• Support timely advising, awarding, distribution and reconciliation services of Financial Aid to eligible students by using knowledge of current and new technology.
• Assist in the administration of New York State, federal, institutional and private scholarship programs.
• Package and process institutional, state, federal and private financial aid ensuring that eligibility, compliance and origination and disbursement of funds are completed according to timelines.
• Perform professional judgment reviews of student files, making adjustments as needed.
• Represent the financial aid office and the college at various meetings both on and off campus or virtually.
• Participate in student workshops and orientation.
• Flexible schedule during peak periods. Be available for evening and weekends as needed.
• Other duties as assigned by the TAP Certifying Officer or Director.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree and four years' related experience required. Bilingual in Spanish/English strongly preferred. Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of student New York State financial aid programs, processes and systems and work experience in the financial aid office. Knowledge of student financial aid (Federal statutes and regulations), processes and systems and work experience in the financial aid office. Comprehensive understanding of CUNYfirst or PeopleSoft and New York State HESC database structure. Strong analytical, research, and technical skills to evaluate and use data in planning and decision making. Familiar with web-based navigation and writing reports (PS Query) for relational databases and work with large databases. Working knowledge of ERP systems or specifically PeopleSoft database, Microsoft Excel, Access and PowerPoint is required. Excellent written & oral communication skills.

CUNY Title Overview

Administers and supervises financial aid programs and operations. Reviews contracts, disbursements, tuition and fees; validates student eligibility for various programs. Administers, monitors and troubleshoots CUNY financial aid systems as well as Federal and NY State systems in order to ensure integrity of student databases and timely and accurate delivery of funds. Assists CUNY staff, applicants, and students/families with advice on financial aid issues and eligibility. May review and reconcile student payroll processing. Represents the Financial Aid function at Admissions events; works with academic departments as well as Bursar, Registrar, Admissions and Computing offices to assure staff understand and implement financial aid processes correctly. Assists in the development and evaluation of Admissions processes. Prepares documentation, instructions, and materials in various media to support financial aid activities. Performs related duties as assigned.

Compensation and Benefits

$66,212 - $68,586 (Revised). CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

How to Apply

Visit www.cuny.edu, access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID or Title. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information. Candidates must attach a resume, cover letter, and three professional references (name, title, organization, and contact information).