Financial Aid Officer - Enrollment and Retention | Financial Aid Office

Universities of Wisconsin • Whitewater, WI

19d • $45,000 - $48,925

About The Position

This position provides excellent customer service and guidance to financial aid applicants and their families throughout the financial aid application process; completes review and verification of financial aid applications; determines financial aid eligibility within the parameters of federal, state, and institutional policies; and is responsible for the oversight of one or more financial aid programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Previous professional work experience in higher education student services
• Knowledge of or ability to learn and understand Title IV federal financial aid regulations and related resources.

Nice To Haves

• Minimum of two years of direct, programmatic experience in student financial aid administration, including knowledge of and experience working with federal and state regulations and aid programs, file review/verification, and Federal Student Aid systems (COD, NSLDS, FSA Partner Connect/FAFSA Partner Portal, etc.).
• Experience with integrated student information systems, preferably PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, and ImageNow document imaging system.
• Master’s degree in higher education administration or related field.
• Excellent customer service and verbal/written communication skills, including the ability to exercise tact and discretion when dealing with students, families, and staff.
• Ability to work independently under moderate supervision and work cooperatively with others as an effective team member.
• Thorough attention to detail.
• Organized and able to exercise time management skills.
• Basic mathematical computation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to interact respectfully and collaborate with people from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, including students, parents, staff, and faculty.
• Willingness and ability to be an active participant in following applicable safety rules and regulations, including necessary training and drills.

Responsibilities

• Counsel students and their families regarding the availability of, eligibility for, and application process for financial aid funds.
• Responsible for advising in person, via phone, and email for an assigned subset of students, equating to approximately 25 percent of financial aid applicants.
• Each work week, serve as the walk-in counselor for a half-day shift.
• Develop and conduct financial aid presentations for various prospective and current student groups.
• Complete review and verification of financial aid applications and award federal, state, and institutional financial aid.
• Review verification worksheets, tax documents, and other forms to perform federally-regulated verification.
• Review various documents for student eligibility, including marriage certificates, birth certificates, citizenship documentation, etc.
• Review reports regarding various aspects of student eligibility, including students close to federal loan limits, one semester only students, changes to residency status, and others.
• Exercise sound professional judgment within federal guidelines when processing extenuating circumstance requests, dependency overrides, and other professional judgment requests.
• Revise financial aid when students receive outside funding.
• Process various reports to monitor financial aid eligibility and make appropriate adjustments to financial aid. These include changes to loan eligibility, enrollment changes, etc.
• Manage the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) program.
• Determine student eligibility and award FFWS grants both in PeopleSoft and the FFWS data system.
• Determine student eligibility and award the FFWS stipend in PeopleSoft.
• Report grades, credits, and credentials in the FFWS database for both fall and spring terms.
• Assist UW-Whitewater FFWS Office with student mentorship, when possible.
• Process fund requests and conduct reconciliation of all FFWS funds received and disbursed.
• Report financial aid pre-award and post-award data and academic information in the FFWS database system.
• Assist with developing policies and procedures manual to ensure compliance of all federal, state, and institutional programs/aid using the NASFAA Compliance Engine.
• Research federal regulations using U.S. Department of Education websites, handbooks, NASFAA, WASFAA, FSA Knowledge Center, and other Department of Education publications.
• Prepare for and actively participate in staff meetings.
• Participate in professional development opportunities to maintain professional knowledge and share this knowledge with the entire office staff.
• Maintain operational knowledge of financial aid systems, including NSLDS, COD, FAFSA Partner Portal, etc.
• Assists in collecting, preparing, and analyzing financial aid data for stakeholders
• Triages processes or applications if issues arise
• Awards financial aid to qualifying students
• Audits financial aid applications for awarding financial aid to qualifying students according to established policies and in compliance with federal and state regulations
• May hire, train, and supervise student employees
• Serves as a point of contact to third party stakeholders about financial aid information and processes

Benefits

• UW System employees receive an excellent benefit package.
• To learn more about the UW System's comprehensive benefit package, review the UW System Employee Benefits Brochure.

What This Job Offers

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