Financial Aid Counselor & Veterans Coordinator

The Financial Aid Counselor and Veterans Coordinator is responsible for managing a caseload of undergraduate and Veteran Graduate aid applicants including providing customer service counseling and advisement to students families and others; completing needs analysis and packaging of aid resources under federal state and institutional guidelines; and reviewing and updating awards as addition the Financial Aid Counselor and Veterans Coordinator serves as manager and expert of one or more programs including Veterans Education Benefits and represents the office and university in various ways and capacities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Awarding and Counseling

1. Provide customer service to students parents families staff faculty and others through phone in-person and e-mail while adhering to FERPA. With special consideration for Native Spanish speaking families.
2. Counsel and advise interested parties on federal state and institutional financial aid application processes eligibility options resources policies and regulations.
3. Review and process all documentation received following established procedures.
4. Analyze aid applications to determine eligibility select applications for further review resolve conflicting information and award various types of financial aid in accordance with changing federal state veteran and institutional regulations and policies.
5. Work with students when they are taking a leave of absence studying abroad considering a withdrawal or moving off-campus to inform them of the implications of those decisions and the review/revision of their awards.
6. Adjust awards appropriately as needed (i.e. approved appeals; enrollment or housing changes; receipt of other aid; withdrawals or leave of absences; changes in eligibility).
7. Access confidential external systems to confirm aid eligibility; review financial aid application details; and report changes updates or errors.
8. Review caseload on a weekly basis for accuracy status updates subsequent ISIRs quality control and any other issues prohibiting disbursement of financial aid.
9. Provide back-up as needed for office functions related to awarding and counseling (in situations such as the absence of a colleague).
10. Remain competent and current on systems and financial aid through self-directed professional reading developing professional contacts with colleagues and/or attending professional development courses/conferences (as budget allows).
11. Assist in evaluating changes to policies and procedures including impact to students families and the University providing constructive feedback and examples; and learn and implement appropriate policy or procedural changes to ensure compliance.

Program Management

1. Serve as office expert and manage all aspects of at least one financial aid program (such as Federal Work-Study TEACH Grant Pell Grant SEOG Cal Grant etc.) including but not limited to maintaining compliance awarding reporting reconciliation error resolution etc.
2. Communicate with other offices and/or outside groups as applicable.
3. Manage other needed office function areas as requested.
4. Each semester complete Unit Discrepancy process of caseload including updating records and awards as appropriate.

Veterans Coordinator

1. Serve as primary School Certifying Official for all Veterans Educational Benefits including but not limited to monitoring eligibility; reporting enrollment tuition and fees to the VA; and updating financial aid awards as benefits are approved.
2. Supervise and lead any Veterans Work-Study students.
3. Monitor receipt of funds from the VA and reconcile student awards.
4. Communicate with the Department of Veterans Affairs regularly regarding student eligibility and any discrepancies.
5. Work efficiently with the Business Services Office (BSO) for refund processing and with Vocational Rehabilitation invoice.

Stewardship

1. Represent the Office of Financial Aid and the University by presenting financial aid information at various events both on and off campus.
2. Represent the Office of Financial Aid on various campus committees.
3. Coordinate collaborate and communicate with other departments across campus for interpretation and implementation of procedures and policies related to financial aid.

Perform other duties as assigned.

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelors degree from an accredited four-year college or university; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to use the internet effectively including standard browsers email and specialized industry web-based applications (such as ELM WebGrants NSLDS etc.)
• Excellent Customer Service Skills: Able to manage difficult or emotional customer situations by keeping own emotions under control responding promptly to customer needs solicit customer feedback to improve service and meet commitments
• Good Written Communication: Clear and informative in both positive and negative situations; conscientious of spelling and grammar; vary writing style to meet situation and objective; present numerical data effectively; and able to read and interpret written information
• Teamwork: Balance team and individual responsibilities; open to feedback from supervisor teammates and others; contribute to a positive team spirit and support all members of the team; recognize success of team above own interests; build morale; committed to department goals and objectives; and active participant in meetings
• Strong Interpersonal Skills: Understand conflict resolution; maintain confidentiality; and listens to others and exhibits objectivity and openness to others views; does not discriminate on the basis of race religious creed color national origin ancestry ethnic group identification physical disability mental disability medical condition genetic condition marital status sex gender gender identity gender expression age or sexual orientation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working in a Financial Aid Office or in higher education
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or other Financial Aid Management System
• Experience working with Veterans and dependents and serving as a School Certifying Official for Veterans Educational Benefits

Dominican University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity and takes pride in its multicultural are committed in thought word and deed to recruiting and retaining a workforce that values the diversity of its student body. The University actively promotes an institutional culture that practices equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of all under-represented groups in higher education.