Financial Aid Specialist

This position is responsible for advising prospective and currently enrolled students and their families on all aspects of the financial aid process. The Financial Aid Specialist serves as the primary contact with students and prospective students and participates in college recruitment and retention activities. They have responsibility for providing information sessions for students, parents and families in support of various outreach efforts and will need to effectively communicate and counsel individual students or groups of students and their families.

This position also has the responsibility for managing specific financial aid programs and processes.

This is accomplished by:

• Advising prospective and currently enrolled students and families on the financial aid process in person, on the telephone and through written/email correspondence.
• Communicating with students about renewing FAFSA, missing verification documents, entrance and exit counseling, award acceptance and other requirements.
• Supporting financial literacy through one-on-one outreach with students.
• Assisting with evening and weekend recruitment events such as high school nights, FAFSA completion workshops, and outreach events both on and off campus.
• Conducting needs analysis in compliance with federal criteria to determine eligibility of each financial aid applicant.
• Conducting verification of student and parent application data in compliance with federal criteria.
• Determining the types and amounts of financial aid to be awarded through the packaging process according to federal, state, and institutional requirements.
• Monitoring individual student awards.
• Resolving data conflicts and over awards and making necessary referrals to other student services office.
• Collaborating with admissions/registrar, and the student account office to support students.

Other duties include:

• Filing, scanning, reviewing scholarship applications.
• Analyzing various system-generated reports to verify continued compliance and eligibility of students receiving aid under federal and institutional guidelines.
• Coordinating the administration of specific institutional, state, or federal programs as assigned by the supervisor.