Financial Aid Processor

Southern Oregon University • Ashland, OR

12d • $40,345 - $44,327 • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for counseling current students and educating prospective students and their families about federal, state, local, and institutional aid programs. This position is also responsible for all fee remission processing, verifying, and updating student documents that affect student aid, as well as monitoring academic progress for continued aid disbursement. This position exercises independent professional judgment beyond prescribed polices and procedures to carry out the university’s mission and policy to recruit and retain students. The decisions made by this person commit this office to a specific course of action, carry fiduciary responsibility and accountability for managing financial aid program expenditures, and determine whether or not a student receives financial assistance. This position is solely responsible for all decisions related to processing financial aid applications. Professional judgment may be invoked regarding student files. The decisions made by this individual commit this office to a specific course of action, including financial aid program expenditures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• One year of successful professional work experience is required that may be relevant to this position.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
• Ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and research skills; ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters.
• Ability to coordinate several functions and determine the relative importance of each; ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet, as well as online calendaring and email.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University, with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to adapt to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
• Working knowledge, or ability to quickly learn, of university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to provide training and direction to others, as well as student assistants.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, anticipate needs, prioritize multiple tasks, follow through, and work independently without supervision while handling frequent interruptions and rapidly shifting priorities.
• Skilled at keeping detailed records and following up on various issues.
• Skilled at streamlining processes to create efficiencies when necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team player, coordinate several functions, and determine the relative importance of each; ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Demonstrated office operations or project management experience.
• Ability to manage stressful situations with tact and diplomacy and to use sound judgment and discretion, particularly as it relates to handling sensitive and/or confidential information.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.

Nice To Haves

• Minimum of 2 years progressively more responsible experience in financial aid
• Experience with the Banner Financial Aid system
• Experience in giving presentations (high school financial aid, college fairs, etc.)
• Previous experience as a Financial Aid Processor/Counselor/Advisor

Responsibilities

• Reviews and processes student verification documentation daily.
• Analyzes federal tax documents (and/or tax information) and family information against information on the FAFSA in order to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid and makes changes to the FAFSA when necessary.
• Evaluates the eligibility for and appropriateness of all financial aid processed.
• Analyzes regulations and participates in the development of the SOU Financial Aid Office policy and procedure for administering financial aid from all sources.
• Adjust student aid when necessary due to the receipt of outside resources (scholarships and 3rd party payments).
• Provide direct customer service to current students, prospective students, parents, and supporters, both in person and by Zoom, as well as respond to phone and email requests from the same.
• Provide expert assistance and advice for those seeking student aid from federal, state, institutional and private sources.
• Counsel students regarding debt and their rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.
• Advise students about their annual and aggregate loan limits.
• Participates in office outreach events to include planning and presenting financial aid workshops, seminars, etc., which may be outside of traditional office hours, off campus, and/or out of town.
• Monitor the FWS Waitlist and reallocate FWS funds according to FWS regulations throughout the year.
• Assist in further developing the FWS program at SOU.
• Manages multiple Federal or State aid programs, including but not limited to: Pell Grant, Dual Enrollment, Oregon Opportunity Grant, Federal Loan Programs, Return to Title IV, Veterans, private loan processing, scholarships, and Direct Loan functions and graduate programs as needed.
• Monitors programs for compliance with Federal, State, and Institutional regulations, manages the SAP administration and communication to both students and those who request the information on behalf of the student.
• Exercises professional judgment when processing unusual circumstances and special circumstance appeals that come through the office.
• Review and approve or deny student’s requests for budget increases, as needed and reduction of AGI as originally filed on FAFSA to make students eligible for additional aid by using professional judgment under institutional guidelines.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Due to the consistent and constant changes in Financial Aid on a Federal, State, and Institutional level, this position will have other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the office in addition to remaining in compliance with regulatory updates.

Benefits

• To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

What This Job Offers

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