Student Finance Specialist

Covista•Reno, NV

2d•$19 - $34•Onsite

About The Position

The Student Finance Specialist promotes student success by providing accurate, timely, student-centered financial advisement. The role provides onsite support and advocacy for prospective students and applicants throughout the new student process, including financial aid guidance and financial literacy education to help students achieve their educational goals. It models Covista values and fosters a culture of CARE aligned with the organization's mission, vision, and purpose. The position also backs up enrollment events and supports continuing students as needed. Working with enrollment, the specialist answers questions, reviews program and student costs, explains funding options, and creates financial plans with clear application timelines. The role educates students about financial responsibility, including cost of attendance, funding timelines, repayment considerations, and implications for continued enrollment. It supports students through phone, email, SMS, virtual advising, and proactive outreach, documents interactions in institutional systems, and manages follow-up to help students complete financial requirements and persist in their education. The specialist meets service expectations for response time, quality, and student satisfaction; promotes student self-service tools; identifies opportunities to improve processes; and provides accurate, compliant information in accordance with institutional policies and Title IV, state, and federal regulations. The role is campus-based and requires availability for a variety of office hours, including evenings and weekends.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
At least 1 year of experience in higher education, financial aid advising, customer service, or related experience required.
Ability to work a variety of office hours, including evenings and weekends.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team and interact effectively with individuals at all organizational levels.
Strong self-motivation and ability to take ownership of complex issues, prioritize effectively, and resolve concerns efficiently.
Exposure to Microsoft Word, Excel, Power BI, PowerPoint, and Copilot.
Eligible to obtain and maintain NSLDS system access; must not be in default of Title IV federal aid.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Student Financial Aid software applications preferred.
Experience with Student Information Systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

Support prospective students and applicants throughout the new student process in partnership with enrollment, answering questions, reviewing program and student costs, and outlining options to fund their education.
Create and confirm accurate financial plans, establishing timelines for completing application processes so students are financially prepared to start and stay in school.
Maintain student satisfaction through inbound and outbound phone calls, email, and SMS communication with students and internal stakeholders.
Attend and support campus connection sessions with the enrollment team and student support liaison.
Accurately and thoroughly document interactions in appropriate institutional systems.
Educate students on financial responsibility, including cost of attendance, funding timelines, repayment considerations, and implications for continued enrollment.
Assist and engage students through virtual advising, calls, email, SMS, and proactive outreach, aiming for first-contact resolution.
Identify opportunities to improve current methods and participate in organizational change; promote student self-service tools during advising and new student orientation.
Meet established service-level expectations for response time, quality, and student satisfaction across communication channels.
Manage follow-up tasks to ensure timely completion of financial requirements and minimize barriers to enrollment and persistence.
Provide accurate, compliant financial information in accordance with institutional policies and Title IV, state, and federal regulations.
Serve as a backup for enrollment events and support continuing students as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned and comply with all policies and standards.