Financial Aid Counselor & Scholarship Coordinator

The Financial Aid Counselor & Scholarship Coordinator will:

• Coordinate awards of USD Endowed & Restricted Scholarships
• Process private/outside scholarships
• Counsel and advise on financial aid matters
• Process financial aid files

Duties and Responsibilities:

Scholarship Program Coordinator:

• Coordinate Banner Fund Code requests when a new Endowed/Pooled or Annual/Restricted/Spendable account is opened.
• Serve as a resource for Development Officers on campus when they are establishing new scholarships.
• Select and award USD endowed and annual scholarships to students according to donors criteria coordinating information from Workday and USD Development and using technical knowledge of USDs computer system and USD award process.
• Determine appropriate scholarship awards for students whose appeals for additional funds have been approved.
• Serve as a resource using professional judgment and decision-making skills interacting with academic departments to resolve issues regarding different types of student awards.
• Process all external scholarships from private sources using knowledge of federal regulations and USD packaging policies and adhering to all donor specifications.
• Maintain regular interface/communication with the Office of Development.
• Maintain regular interface/communication with Accounting.
• Processes departmental/direct awards when a re-evaluation is needed requiring extensive knowledge of Federal and other agency regulations. Including but not limited to: USD Work Service Awards Choral Scholarships University Ministry Scholarships.
• Coordinate and award all Tuition Remission Scholarships and Tuition Exchange Scholarships for USD undergraduate and graduate students for fall spring intersession and summer session.

Application and File Processing:

• Determine student financial aid eligibility based on Federal Methodology and USD guidelines using professional judgment and knowledge in gray areas.
• Process corrections through ANA/INAS system and determine new need/eligibility.
• Determine students financial aid package using USD federal and state guidelines demonstrating flexibility yet adhering to guidelines; identify/request exceptions based on professional judgment.
• Perform re-evaluation of packages.

Applicant Advising:

• Counsel students and parents who have complicated situations on financial aid/personal matters with sensitivity.
• Provides accurate and prompt information ensuring excellent customer service by serving as part of the Financial Aid Counselor of the Day rotation. This occurs primarily by phone and email with occasional face-to-face meetings.
• Acts as liaison with other USD offices regarding student issues.
• Collaborates with partner offices to assist families with questions and concerns.

Other:

• Represent USD by creating/making presentations on Financial Aid at fairs and forums.
• Serve as integral part of financial aid team in formulating and implementing policies and procedures for office management and modifications to packaging and processing guidelines.
• Attend state/federal training workshops and state/regional conferences relating to financial aid and/or scholarships.
• Serve on university committees relevant to Financial Aid issues.
• Complete Financial Needs Analysis Forms on portals and paper forms for outside scholarship donors as necessary.
• Train supervise and evaluate two full time staff members.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree
• Four years full time experience in financial aid

Performance Expectations- Knowledge Skills andAbilities:

• Knowledge of need analysis and student aid
• High degree of mathematical accuracy
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Effective organizational skills
• Ability to make independent decisions
• Ability to make difficult and critical decisions
• Ability to adjust to changing environment
• Capacity to listen and respond with knowledge and understanding to student and parent situations
• Word processing skills
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of Title IV Regulations
• Maintain diplomacy in difficult situations
• Demonstrated supervisory skills
• Ability and availability to work additional hours during peak processing times and/or during times of staff transition
• Public Speaking skills

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Closing date:Open until filled