Financial Aid Specialist (Customer Service Specialist Intermediate)

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities•Faribault, MN

8d•Onsite

About The Position

South Central College is hiring a temporary, full-time Financial Aid Specialist to provide professional customer service and administrative support at the Student Affairs Center front desk on the Faribault campus. The position is a general reception and service point for internal and external customers and provides financial aid information. It has a set schedule and supports scholarships, document processing, scanning, office operations, and correspondence through multiple communication channels. The specialist supports students and other customers in person, by phone, email, and written correspondence. The role assists with navigating college websites and processes, provides general information about financial aid and related student services, reviews student records, and directs customers to appropriate staff. It also handles scholarship activities, enrollment verification, financial aid document intake and tracking, and preparation and coordination of outreach workshops. The position provides administrative support to the Financial Aid department, its Director, Student Affairs, and the college, and may support both campuses when needed. It includes general office management, supervision of work-study students, and coordinating information dissemination in the Student Affairs Center and Welcome Center. The position is in person at the Faribault campus, with work hours of 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Requirements

Two years of customer service experience in a fast-paced office setting or at an institution of higher education.
Ability to provide prompt, courteous, accurate, and understandable customer service in person, by phone, email, and written correspondence.
Ability to quickly identify customer needs and determine appropriate next steps, including when information is initially incomplete.
Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and manage several work projects at once.
Experience accurately entering data and close attention to detail, including for processing scholarship awards.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, including Word and Excel.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States; the employer cannot sponsor work visas.
Applicants must submit a resume with the application.
Employees who drive on college business using a rental or state vehicle must meet Minnesota State vehicle-use criteria and consent to a motor vehicle records check.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree from an accredited college or university.
Knowledge of student services processes, including admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and campus resources typically accessed at a front desk.
Knowledge of financial aid office operations or equivalent higher education experience.
Knowledge of a student information system such as the Integrated Student Record System and ImageNow for archiving.

Responsibilities

Provide customer service at the Student Affairs Center front desk and respond promptly and accurately to phone inquiries or route calls appropriately.
Determine customer needs, refer students to appropriate staff, and help students navigate college websites and processes, including admissions, enrollment, course registration, loan counseling and applications, and FAFSA completion.
Provide technical assistance and general information about financial aid, admissions, college policies, procedures, and student services; investigate, advise, problem-solve, and resolve questions from students, families, employees, third parties, and the public.
Review student records electronically using ISRS or other relevant software.
Serve as the Faribault campus point of contact for the work-study program and child care grant program.
Promote and record outside scholarships and South Central Foundation scholarship applications; verify eligibility and assist with scholarship selection.
Maintain contact with loan servicers regarding address changes and last dates of attendance; complete county and housing requests for financial aid and enrollment information.
Work with the business office to support efforts to reduce accounts receivable balances.
Review financial aid forms for completeness and accuracy, assist students with forms, forward documents for processing, and initiate correspondence requesting additional information.
Code receipt of financial aid documents in the MnSCU ISRS system and scan documents into ImageNow in compliance with confidentiality and document-storage requirements.
Help maintain and update ImageNow file folders and create document-processing workflows.
Prepare materials for financial aid workshops, schedule seminars and workshops, assign dates, facilities, and presenters, assist students, and evaluate applicant results.
Provide administrative support to the Director and department, general office management, and supervision of work-study students.
Coordinate information dissemination in the Student Affairs Center and Welcome Center, support both campuses when needed, and perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Paid holidays (the posting lists 11 in one benefits description and 12 in another).
Vacation time.
Sick time.
Six weeks of paid parental leave.
Low-cost medical and dental insurance with affordable deductibles.
Pension plan.
457(b) and 403(b) retirement plans and other retirement investment options.
Pre-tax medical and dental expense accounts with a rollover option.
Dependent care accounts.
Employer-paid life insurance.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Professional development.
Tuition waiver program for employees and their dependents.
Employee Assistance Program for mental health, legal, and financial counseling.