Financial Aid Processing Specialist

The Financial Aid Processing Specialist is responsible for financial aid processing, awarding, certifying, and reconciling federal and private loans and applying awards to student accounts. The position organizes documents, verifies files, and will serve as a Veteran Certifying Official (VCO) for the University.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Process loans, including data entry and export, monitoring credit decisions, and sending communications to parents/students (Federal Direct, Subsidized, Unsubsidized, ElmOne, Bar Study, Parent PLUS, Graduate PLUS)
• Processes change requests for student awards; assists with posting awards; sends daily tracking letters and notice of award changes to students
• Supports internal departments, and external organizations, answers questions, inquiries, or requests; report requests; follows up with students to obtain missing documentation
• Reviews disbursement notifications and ensure that loan changes are accurately communicated to students.
• Generates quality assurance testing/reports on processes, systems, financial aid files, etc., compares data for accuracy, makes corrections, and reviews documentation for accuracy and completeness
• Maintains 100% verification file review compliance and ensures compliance with laws and regulation regarding federal, state regulations and school policies and procedures
• Reviews and processes student verification documentation in system (Banner), audits against Federal Processing System (FPS), assists with review of the Pell and Direct Loan report reconciliation
• Processes Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits and student registration forms according to the Veterans Administration Certifying Official Handbook
• Submits required reports to the VA and ensures Veteran's benefit records are compliant
• Creates, maintains, and verifies payments for student sponsorship billing for Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Collaborates with the Military and Veteran's Affairs Coordinator and issues College Financing Plan to students using VA benefits
• Works jointly with technical leadership to perform weekly data review, identifies discrepancies or over-awards, clears ISIR flags, direct loan rejects, suspends, duplicate records, award revisions, rejected disbursements, and identifies actions to resolve
• Reviews and processes student refunds and dependent tuition benefit forms
• Performs other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma/GED required, Associate's Degree preferred in accounting, business or related business field (an equivalent combination of relevant education and professional experience demonstrating the required knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform the functions of the position proficiently may be considered)
• 2 years of financial aid, loan processing, accounting, customer service or similar work experience
• Experience with Ellucian Banner, Argos software, or similar preferred
• Must clear and maintain a favorable background investigation and clearance
• Must have valid driver's license, motor vehicle liability insurance and personal injury insurance; or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis
• Must be able to work extended hours or weekends during peak times and for special programs, projects, or events.
• Must have the ability to demonstrate basic skills in MS Office or 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams). Uses various software applications, such as spreadsheets, virtual platforms (Zoom, Teams) and financial systems (Banner or similar program) to assemble, manipulate and/or format data and/or reports, a plus.
• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends when deemed necessary
• Must have a high attention to detail and be able to organize workflow, coordinate activities, balance simultaneous projects without loss of efficiency in a multi-tasked environment, and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong public relations and customer service skills with an ability to implement diplomacy and discretion at all times; ability to work effectively with communities across the university.
• Bilingual Preferred (English/Spanish with the ability to understand and to make one's self understood to Spanish speaking individuals)
• Ability to comply with all federal, state and private regulations in awarding and processing of student loans including understanding borrower-based year and scheduled academic year loan processing.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team player in a fast-paced, environment to efficiently and effectively solve problems, and initiate and implement projects

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Working conditions are in an office environment and university campus setting. Must be able to move across the university campus to conduct day to day business.
• While performing this role, the employee will be regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk and hear, both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 20 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems within a timely manner.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

St. Mary's University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.