Enrollment Specialist - Financial Aid Advisor III

Texas A&M • McAllen, TX

1d • $52,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The mission of Scholarships & Financial Aid is to provide students and their families with information and financial resources to attend Texas A&M University, along with support programs that promote higher education and developmental opportunities. We administer scholarships and financial aid, which include the following programs: grants, student loans, student employment, veteran educational benefits, athletic aid coordination, short-term loans, and emergency tuition and fee loans. In addition, our office provides advising on the programs listed above. Our office also assists students in gaining financial literacy knowledge through our Money Education Center. Our office is responsible for processing student aid and veteran educational benefits for College Station, Galveston, all Health Science Center sites and Qatar which totaled approximately $1 billion in financial aid assistance for the prior academic year.

Scholarships & Financial Aid is seeking a Financial Aid Advisor III to counsel and provide federal, state and institutional scholarships, financial aid & military education benefit information for currently enrolled and prospective students at the Higher Education Center at McAllen. We're seeking an individual who will quickly and accurately learn to review and advise students on scholarships, financial aid and military education documentation, processes and information. Our selected candidate must have the ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy and professionalism while providing great customer service. The ideal candidate must have experience in financial aid, scholarships, student employment, student services, or related experience. This is a very rewarding position as you will learn to advise current and prospective McAllen students and their families one-on-one, in group and presentation settings. We are looking for a detail-oriented, well-organized, individual who is passionate about providing excellent service while assisting students and families with their financial needs. If this description appeals to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three years in financial aid, scholarships, student veterans services or related experience.
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and outside regular business hours.
• Must comply with Texas A&M System Policy 07.02 Texas Higher Education Fair Lending Practices.
• Must be in good standing on all Federal Student Loans.
• Must be able to rectify default status within three months of employment.
• Good standing must be maintained for continued employment.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism, and customer service.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.
• Ability to work individually or as a team in a dynamic organization.
• Good interpersonal communication skills.
• Must be literate in the English language and able to comprehend, give and follow both written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to organize and make decisions.
• Ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to use tact, diplomacy, and judgment in dealing with all customers.
• Attention to detail.
• Knowledge of current versions of Microsoft products, including Windows and Office.
• Knowledge of Financial Aid or Student Information Systems.
• Background in general office conditions with much time spend in contact with students.
• Knowledge of rules, regulations and best practices in specialty area.
• Ability to develop and make presentations.
• Knowledge and experience in an enrollment management area focusing on outreach and/or retention.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Uses discretion and independent judgement to advise and counsel students, parents, and/or prospective students through scholarships, loans, grants, employment and financial counseling; responds to questions and counseling needs in-person and by written, phone, and e-mail means from currently enrolled students, prospective student and parents.
• Assists students to resolve questions and complaints.
• Provides loan and indebtedness counseling to students on an individual and group basis.
• Uses independent judgement to provide support to colleges and departments as needed.
• Assists with review, revision, and interpretation of complex rules, regulations, procedures and polices relating to general financial aid, scholarships, and team specialty area(s).
• Awards, revises, and/or approves the awarding of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines.
• Assists in developing and presenting training seminars on pertinent topics and procedures within team area of expertise; learns to provide assistance and guidance to other financial aid staff to ensure that processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures.
• Uses discretion to respond to varied questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid, scholarships and specialized programs; conducts seminars and gives presentations to include classroom and/or professional level for profession and others.
• Performs reviews for professional judgement of student files, making adjustments as needed; reviews Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals and makes decisions regarding the validity of these appeals.
• May present at local or state conferences.
• Plans and executes special events for specific audiences and in support of departmental initiatives; transitions students from prospective to currently enrolled students; participates in and may lead departmental work groups.
• Attends local, state and national workshops and conferences; some travel required.
• Answer incoming calls, handle walk-in customers with questions regarding their bills.
• Will assist with Late Fee Waiver Requests.
• May answer RightNow Incidents and answer student/parent questions out of RightNow Technology concerning their accounts.
• May perform collections for Student Accounts Receivable.
• Will assist with ID Card Administration.
• Serves as VA Certifying Official for TAMU McAllen.
• Assists with student and applicant Veteran and Hazlewood processing and certification.
• Assists students in resolving questions and complaints with the Veteran Administration, Texas Veterans Commission, and/or TAMU McAllen.
• Coordinates with Veteran Services Office (VSO) on Texas A&M College Station campus to ensure compliance in benefit processing and consistency in policies and procedures between the two campuses.
• Calls into weekly VSO meetings and other VSO related trainings/meetings as needed.
• Interprets and maintains knowledge of current federal, state and institutional policies, procedures and regulations pertaining to financial aid, student employment, scholarships and accounts receivable at TAMU.
• Develops and revises financial aid consumer information materials, publications, and brochures for currently enrolled and prospective students, parents, colleges, departments, and university use.
• With direction from Supervisor, responsible for maintaining all Financial Aid production calendars and regular monthly financial aid website updates.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12- 15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Free exercise programs and release time
• All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level