Financial Aid Advisor

Indian Hills Community College•Ottumwa Main Campus, IA

About The Position

Responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of student grants, scholarships, and loan opportunities. The Financial Aid Advisor supports students, prospective students, families, school personnel, agency representatives, and college staff with financial aid processes and policies; reviews applications and documentation; coordinates awards and related communications; and helps maintain compliance with federal and state requirements. The role also provides financial literacy education and support to Enrollment Services. The position is a full-time, benefits-eligible, four-term appointment with at-will employment on a letter of employment. The schedule is 9 hours per day, Monday through Thursday. The position reports to the Director, Financial Aid.

Requirements

Associate degree required.
Ability to communicate effectively with students, prospective students and their parents, area agency representatives, high school personnel, and IHCC staff.
Ability to work with various internal computer systems and understand external systems at the federal and state levels.
Regular and consistent attendance at work.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Advising and/or financial assistance experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Answer students’ and parents’ questions about all aspects of the financial aid application process.
Advise community agency personnel, high school counselors, and institutional staff on financial assistance policies and regulations.
Participate in FAFSA completion workshops and other after-hours events at high schools, community centers, and on campus as needed.
Review applicant information according to federal and state documentation policies.
Complete assigned financial aid processes and procedures accurately and on time.
Complete federal verification edits for selected applicants to ensure regulatory compliance.
Coordinate notification to eligible applicants of award amounts for federal Title IV and state programs.
Coordinate document tracking for federal and state student applicants.
Manage student correspondence regarding file review and completion.
Coordinate electronic transmission of federal student aid data, including loan adjustment requests, FAFSA downloads, corrections, and over-award reports.
Advise student grant, scholarship, and loan recipients of their rights and responsibilities as federal and state grantees.
Act as liaison between student aid recipients and agency personnel to support timely delivery of grants and scholarships.
Communicate with students and staff about students’ ability to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) under federal and state regulations.
Maintain ongoing communication with the Iowa Department of Education and related agencies regarding students’ eligibility or ineligibility for programs.
Maintain accurate knowledge of regulatory changes, updates, and revisions.
Assist with annual internal system setup to ensure awards are packaged and transmitted accurately.
Participate in conferences and training to support institutional compliance with Title IV programs.
Provide additional support to Enrollment Services.
Maintain regular and consistent attendance at work.
Provide financial literacy education to students.
Perform monthly and yearly reconciliations of Federal Title IV funds using Ellucian reconciliation reports, Business Office general ledger accounts, and COD records.
Perform other duties as assigned.