Financial Aid Representative

Santa Fe College•Gainesville, FL

37d

About The Position

The application deadline for this position is 11:59pm EST on December 4, 2025. The Financial Aid Office at Santa Fe College assists students and their families by providing financial assistance to help cover educational expenses and related costs. Financial Aid receives, processes, and disburses various types of financial aid, including grants, loans and scholarships based on federal, state and college policy. The Financial Aid Representative is generally the first point of contact providing advice to students and parents regarding the financial aid process and providing information on available programs, procedures, and eligibility. Therefore, the Financial Aid Representative must have a knowledge of college programs and resources and a thorough understanding of all applicable Financial Aid institutional, state, and federal guidelines and regulations. The Financial Aid Representative also troubleshoots and provides some preliminary evaluation and verification of various requests and documentation that is forwarded to other Financial Aid department members for processing.

Requirements

A high school degree or equivalent with two (2) years of related work experience and/or a combination of education and experience equal to two (2) years.
A criminal background check will be conducted.
Ability to work successfully in a multi-cultural environment.
Adaptability to Change - able to be flexible and supportive, able to positively and proactively assimilate change in rapid growth environment.
Communication - able to effectively communicate in a professional, diplomatic, empathetic, and tactful manner using preferred method and level as applicable to the job.
Customer Service - ability to respond promptly and courteously to all questions from students and faculty, demonstrating patience and persistence when helping students with little or no computer skills.
Ethics - able to demonstrate integrity, professionalism, civility, and a high degree of ethics in all job-related actions.
Organization & Time Management - able to plan, schedule, and organize tasks related to the job to achieve goals within or ahead of established time frames.
Problem Solving - proven skills in identifying issues, determining their cause, developing creative solutions, and following through with implementing resolutions.
Relationship Management - able to personally provide high level of interactive service to others, building relationships and addressing identified needs.
Results Orientation - proven ability to set and exceed established targets.
Systems & Software - proficient level of knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or relevant position software programs.
Detail Oriented - Proven accuracy and attention to detail.
Multi-task - Ability to expeditiously organize, coordinate, manage, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks simultaneously to swiftly assess a situation, determine a logical course of action, and apply the appropriate response.

Nice To Haves

An associate or bachelor's degree in a related field and experience working in an academic environment.

Responsibilities

Provides advice and counsel about available financial aid opportunities, eligibility requirements, the application process and college resources to students and parents in-person, over the phone and via email.
Carefully adheres to all institutional, state, and federal guideline and regulations, including FERPA, and participates in opportunities for professional development on a continual basis to stay compliant.
Follows proper office procedures and processes to address student inquiries while thoroughly documenting, both electronically and manually, details for each file.
Assesses unusual circumstances and reviews and analyzes incomplete or conflicting data to appropriately communicate information to students and families related to financial aid.
Verifies that information provided on various financial aid forms and legal documents is accurate, current, and consistent with applicable supporting documentation.
Creates and supplies forms as needed for various financial aid purposes.
Receives, logs, and files documents, which may include appeals packages, student records, applications, eligibility, marital status, and tax information.
Tracks and reports daily activity of office statistics both electronically and manually.
Utilizes complex computer programs for reporting, tracking, monitoring, processing, recording, retrieving, and verifying statistical data.
Conducts outreach events to promote Santa Fe College by marketing financial aid services to the community.
Communicates tactfully, while exercising extreme diplomacy, empathy and compassion when dealing with sensitive information, challenging situations, difficult and sometime disgruntled individuals.
Uses appropriate strategies to diffuse tense situations and recognize when to make referrals to avoid escalation.
May need to work a flexible schedule, including extended hours during peak service periods and special events.
Complies with all published College Rules, procedures, guidelines, and laws/regulations governing public employees, including but not limited to those related to document retention and destruction, FERPA, and confidentiality.
Strictly honors the privacy, security and confidentiality of student records and other sensitive information according to appropriate state, federal and college regulations, policies, and procedures.
Provides service excellence through courteous, informed, accessible and professional engagement.
Performs other duties as assigned.