Financial Aid Counselor for Loans and Verification / Education Support Specialist II (00122) - Longwood University

Longwood University invites qualified applicants to apply for the position of Financial Aid Counselor for Loans and Verification / Education Support Specialist II (00122) in the Financial Aid Office. The successful candidate will play a vital role in administering federal, state, and institutional student aid programs while ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations. This position is responsible for processing grants and loans, assisting with verification and appeals, and providing high-quality guidance and support to students, families, and external partners.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and organizational skills with a student-focused mindset and a proactive, collaborative approach. This role is well-suited for someone eager to grow in financial aid administration, compliance, or student services. While prior financial aid experience is helpful, attention to detail, a commitment to excellent customer service, and a willingness to learn are the most essential traits.

This position is located in Farmville, Virginia, and is required to work in person on Longwood University's campus.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties:

• Process Federal TEACH Grants, including transmitting files to and from the Department of Education via COD (Common Origination and Disbursement).
• Assist with federal and institutional verification by reviewing IRS tax data, verification worksheets, and other required documentation against federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information.
• Assist in the research to resolve discrepancies in student records, including conflicting information.
• Assist with the administration of the Federal Direct Loans Program for all eligible students, including loan counseling and summer session offers.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations in all federal processes.
• Identify and resolve FAFSA comment codes related to the Federal Pell Grant and Unusual Enrollment History (UEH).
• Process Federal Transfer Monitoring in the student information system, including reviewing, taking corrective actions, and transmitting files (Alerts and History) to/from the Department of Education.
• Process Exit Counseling information upon withdrawal, graduation, or dropping below half-time, and perform default prevention, and provide loan counseling, repayment guidance, and default prevention education.
• Administer Federal Student Aid for students enrolled in preparatory coursework.
• Administer the private loan program from application through disbursement of funds.
• Serve on the office appeals committee and assist in collecting all documents needed to exercise professional judgment in evaluating student appeals related to changes in income, marital status, or family situations.
• Act as liaison with students, parents, lenders, guarantee agencies, and loan servicers, exercising independent judgment in correspondence and communications.
• Provide high-quality customer service by responding promptly to telephone, written, electronic, and in-person requests; act as backup to the front-end customer service team.
• Foster a welcoming and supportive environment for students and families, demonstrating consideration for individual needs.
• Some responsibilities may be shared with other positions.
• Other duties as assigned.

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate's degree or equivalent, relevant work experience preferred.
• Previous work experience in an office, administrative, customer service, or related professional setting.
• Strong customer service skills, including the ability to assist students, families, and campus partners with professionalism, patience, accuracy, and discretion when responding to questions and explaining financial aid processes
• Proficiency with common office technologies, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Teams, Bookings, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to manage a high volume of work, shift between competing priorities, meet deadlines, and remain organized during peak periods.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise professionalism when handling sensitive student and family information.
• Ability to follow detailed procedures, think logically, identify inconsistencies, and apply policies accurately.
• Willingness and ability to learn complex federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and apply them consistently.
• Team-oriented, flexible, and willing to support colleagues and students in all aspects of the Financial Aid Office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Banner or another student information system.
• Previous experience in financial aid, student accounts, admissions, registrar, or another student-service office.
• Experience working in higher education.

This is a full-time, classified, non-exempt position in Pay Band 3, with an annual salary of $47,430.00. The position requires in-person work on Longwood's campus. The position is 12 months, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a standard work schedule of 40 hours per week. Occasional Saturday work is required. A successful fingerprint-based criminal background investigation is required. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Commonwealth of Virginia benefits accompany this position to include:

• State health and dental benefits & flexible spending accounts
• Paid leave (which may include sick leave, personal leave, annual leave, etc.), and 13 holidays
• Retirement savings plans (some with limited employer match available (VRS))
• Life & Long-Term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts for various services, including Verizon.
• Educational benefits for most employees
• Cost-effective Fitness Center membership for employees

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Longwood University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodations to applicants in order to provide access to the application and/or interview process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on your application. If, however, you require accommodations in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 434-395-2074 or humres@longwood.edu.

Per CFR: Title 34, the Title IX Coordinator's contact information can be located through this link http://www.longwood.edu/titleix/.

A diversified workforce is an important part of our strategic plan. EOE/AA