Financial Aid Advisor - Internal Posting

• Counsel parents and students regarding availability of financial aid funding, eligibility requirements and the application process, to include escalated concerns.
• Conduct workshops on completing the financial aid application for prospective, new, and enrolled students on a regularly scheduled rotation.
• Act as back-up to part-time staff in covering front office during working hours, as needed and as directed by supervisor and/or designee.
• Review student financial aid applications and perform federal verification on selected records, resolve conflicting in formation and C coded records.
• Evaluate special circumstance requests and make a relatively assured determination that changing and reprocessing financial (FAFSA) data to the federal processor is within program statute.
• Process financial aid withdrawals and the “Return to Title IV Funds” calculations.
• Reconcile excess funds, if any, that are generated from federal draw downs and process the immediate return to the U.S. Department of Education. (Each federal program is monitored and reconciled to prevent “excess cash on hand” which is prohibited under federal law).
• Perform monthly reconciliation of the Federal SEOG, Pell Grant, and Direct Loan Programs using reports from multiple sources.
• Review student data to determine proper funding levels for students, and make adjustments or cancellations, as necessary, prior to disbursement.
• Maintain scholarship and tuition waiver awards, including bi-monthly reconciliation and pre-disbursement evaluation.
• Assist with end-of-term SAP evaluations, including reviewing students exceeding maximum time frame limits; update institutional systems based on outcomes, coordinate appeal reviews with the committee, and notify students in accordance with federal and institutional guidelines.
• Act as the Federal Work Study Program coordinator, including all aspects of awarding, job listings, and liaison to other departments on campus, student orientations, and document processing.
• Act as backup for Maryland state grant administration, to include roster evaluation, awarding, and reconciliation.
• Maintain archive records and ensure proper file management.
• Collaborate with office staff to submit duplication requests and materials orders, as needed.
• Assist director in maintaining audit-ready files for all audit/program reviews.
• Collaborate with College departments such as Registration and Accounts Receivable to discuss relevant data for processing financial aid applications and reconciling financial aid awards.

VETERAN BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION

• Counsel VA students/VA dependents about the availability of education benefits under the various Chapters of the GI Bill and advise throughout all aspects of the application process.
• Evaluate VA Certification Request Forms submitted by students; perform certifications for veteran’s benefits and submit to VA to initiate payments to student and to the College.
• Monitor VA students’ enrollment; expeditiously report changes to VA so that payments can be adjusted when appropriate.
• Review academic progress at the end of each semester. Notify VA of any changes including changes to program of study.
• Maintain graduation checks for each VA student to ensure that only required courses are included in enrollment certifications to VA.
• Ensure audit-ready files for MHEC and VA program reviews.
• Perform annual reconciliation of the VA educational benefits program using VA Payment reports and enrollment/certification records.
• Collaborate with College departments such as Registration and Accounts Receivable to research or obtain relevant data with regard to processing VA education benefits.
• Working with Institutional Research division, collate 85/15 reporting information, submit to VA, and ensure program approval/denial information is communicated to affected areas.

OTHER RELATED DUTIES

• Increase and maintain in-depth knowledge of Title IV, VA, and MHEC regulations by attending relevant workshops, conferences and meetings.
• Participate in community outreach activities, campus events, and committees as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably with coursework in business or accounting; master’s degree preferred.
• Substantive financial aid experience (3-5 years), and customer service or familiarity with accounts receivable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Professional experience should reflect a strong working knowledge and understanding of Title IV programs and regulations, state programs and regulations, and VA education benefits programs and regulations. Requires an exceptional degree of detail and accuracy and possession of analytic skills.
• Must demonstrate ability to interpret complex regulations and to apply them to daily decisions in the processing of federal and state funds and VA education benefits.
• Evidence of strong verbal and written communication skills.

SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS:

Work schedule may vary during critical periods requiring evening, Saturday, or Sunday work hours depending on the need.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

This position classifies the physical exertion requirements as sedentary work involving lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally, and other sedentary criteria are met.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as office or meeting and training rooms, e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire and building safety regulations, and traffic signals when driving. Periodic travel between college locations and State meetings.