College Affordability Advisor

uAspire•Boston, MA

1d•$29

About The Position

uAspire College Affordability Advisors work directly with young people to help them navigate the process of finding and financing an affordable path to college. We primarily support students who are low-income and/or first generation college students. Currently, we are seeking to hire an advisor for our high school (Afford) team in the Greater Boston area. We support students through a combination of text message advising and in-person advising in their local high schools. All advisors receive in-depth training on college affordability to successfully support students in key tasks such as financial aid form completion, understanding loans, and reviewing financial aid offers. This position requires a highly motivated individual with a passion for supporting youth and a commitment to continuous learning about navigating the college access and success process. Someone comfortable working independently and who enjoys leveraging data and technology to support student success will be a strong fit for this role. The successful applicant will be excited about making a real impact on the lives of young people, strive to put learning into action and thrive on new challenges. THIS IS A FULL-TIME, TEMPORARY ENTRY LEVEL ROLE

Requirements

Effective Communicator - Able to quickly process dense amounts of information and turn it into clear action steps for students. Takes the initiative to translate student experience to best influence program design
Relationship Builder - Positively engages with students, teammates, and partners both internal and external to uAspire
Comfort with Technology - Comfortable learning and/or using platforms such as Salesforce, in addition to daily platforms such as google sheets, in order to efficiently and accurately complete work
Learning Orientation - Excited to become an expert on college affordability and contribute to a learning environment in both formal and informal ways with proactive enthusiasm
Mission-Driven - Knowledge of barriers faced by low-income, first generation college bound students. Successful track record of supporting high school and/or college populations.
Postsecondary Degree or Equivalent Professional Experience- Some college-going experience is required; degree attainment is optional.
Knowledge of local community desired (Greater Boston Area)
Possess strong oral and written communication skills
Organizational skills and ability to plan in a fast-paced environment
Energetic, enthusiastic, and interested in learning within a growing, entrepreneurial organization
Ability to work flexible hours that will occasionally include some evenings and weekends
Proficiency with fundamental professional software: Google Mail/Docs, and Microsoft Office Suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint – required
Ability to take initiative and work independently, as well as a part of a team

Nice To Haves

Multilingual abilities are a plus

Responsibilities

Provide text-message and/or in person advising based on uAspire’s college affordability curriculum to young people in our partner high schools or postsecondary institutions.
Assist students in on-time completion of state, federal, and institutional financial aid forms.
Maximize texting platform capabilities to foster strong advising relationships and rapport with students
Work collaboratively with staff from partner schools and community-based organizations to share pertinent information and strategize about student progress
Advocate for and coach students to engage with relevant individuals, offices, and resources to support their individual needs
Develop and implement creative approaches to drive student engagement with program text messages
Identify and maximize opportunities to engage students via other tech and communication means
Organize financial aid events with students and families in collaboration with school and community partners. Advisors should expect to participate in several evening events per month (both in-person and virtual).
Maintain detailed records in uAspire’s Salesforce database and texting platform to track student data and progress to program goals
Regularly review advisor performance data to monitor own progress to goals. Pull and utilize pertinent Salesforce student data reports to inform outreach to students
Complete survey collection & other administrative responsibilities
Pull and utilize pertinent Salesforce student data reports to inform outreach to students
Contribute to regionally specific research and resource gathering to improve training and knowledge for staff and promote efficiencies in our direct service to students
Facilitate occasional college affordability presentations and student events in collaboration with regional and program partners. Advisors should expect to participate in several evening events per month (both in-person and virtual).
Maintain positive and collaborative working relationships
Support Program leadership by assisting with special projects as assigned