University Financial Aid Specialist, Office of Student Financial Assistance

Overview

University Financial Aid Specialist, Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) at The City University of New York (CUNY), located at the Central Office, serves as the central administrative hub for financial aid operations and provides guidance to financial aid offices across CUNY's 26 colleges and institutions throughout New York City. As a mission-critical department fundamental to delivering financial assistance, maintaining regulatory compliance, and ensuring uninterrupted student financial support, OSFA provides strategic oversight and administration of Federal, State, City, and institutional funding in compliance with government and institutional requirements, enabling access to higher education for over 219,000 students, and administers disbursements of over $1 billion in aid annually.

Beyond the standard multi-academic year processing of Title IV, NYS/NYC, and Institutional Aid, OSFA spearheads the implementation of evolving federal, state and city regulations, manages new awards and programs, and leads university-wide initiatives and technology implementations that directly impact student access and success across one of the nation s largest urban public university systems.

Reporting to the University Deputy Director of OSFA, the University Financial Aid Specialist serves as a subject matter expert on CUNY financial aid policies and procedures, acting as a central resource for financial aid professionals across the CUNY community. This position plays a critical role in supporting compliance, training, systems administration, and operational excellence during a period of significant regulatory change and programmatic expansion.

The Specialist supports everyday office operations by troubleshooting complex requests, conducting research, and delivering solutions to the financial aid community.

As part of a collaborative team, this position trains college financial aid offices on award processing in accordance with evolving federal and state regulations and supports implementation of new programs and initiatives. The candidate will train campuses on CUNYfirst (the University s integrated People Soft ERP platform) and related financial aid systems, perform system updates and configurations, analyze processes for improvement opportunities, and support the administration of Federal, State, City, and institutional aid programs.

In addition to the job summary above and CUNY Title Overview below, other key duties include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Serve as a financial aid subject matter expert and central resource for college financial aid offices across the CUNY system

• Provide operational and technical support for federal and state aid programs, including Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Return to Title IV (R2T4)

• Generate reports, analyze data, verify accuracy, and identify, research, and resolve data inconsistencies

• Stay current on federal, state, city, and institutional financial aid regulations, policies, and trends; communicate updates, guidance, and best practices to CUNY staff

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve issues, recommend process improvements, and support system implementations and university initiatives

• Ensure compliance with university, city, state, and federal financial aid rules and regulations

• Support training initiatives for college financial aid offices and assess training effectiveness and progress

• Assist in developing functional specifications and requirements for system changes and enhancements

• Participate in special projects and perform other related duties as assigned

NOTE:

Until further notice, this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

Bachelor s degree and four years  related experience required.

• Experience in student financial aid operations, compliance, and/or training within a higher education institution.

• Working knowledge of federal and state student financial aid programs, regulations, and/or compliance requirements.

• Experience using People Soft Campus Solutions, particularly Financial Aid modules, and database management tools.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet competing deadlines independently.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the University.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; ability to learn and apply additional new software and technologies, as needed.

• High level of professionalism, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality and service delivery to students.

Supports CUNY campuses with Financial Aid systems, processes, data, and related issues.

• Assists with financial aid systems, including implementation, data quality, training, and troubleshooting

• Supports the implementation of new policies and procedures

• Serves as a liaison among different constituents involved…