FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATOR

JOB SUMMARY

This position, under general supervision of the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships, is responsible for a variety of activities which include performing Federal Verification, managing and administering Federal Grant and Federal Direct Loan Programs, and assisting with Title IV refund calculations. This position requires extensive knowledge of federal, state, and institutional policies; fiscal integrity and stewardship.  This class works within a general outline of work to be performed and develops work methods and sequences under general supervision.

 ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Assists in the administration, awarding and coordination of financial aid programs while adhering to federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures.
• Counsels students concerning financial aid issues.
• Reviews documentation on files selected for the Verification process and resolves discrepancies.
• Assists with document data entry into the PowerFAIDS System.
• Administers and supervises the implementation of all the institution’s financial aid policies, office procedures and funding programs.
• Ensures financial aid compliance with internal and external guidelines.
• Performs Title IV refund calculations for students who withdraw from their program of study and returns funds as necessary.
• Troubleshoots and resolves all issues related to the technical application of processes.
• Provides advising throughout the financial aid process to prospective, new and current students, their families and graduates; must have a thorough knowledge of available types of financial aid, scholarships and general student eligibility criteria.
• In conjunction with the Director, confirms student eligibility for aid awards prior to disbursement and processes disbursement of all aid awards to the Student Accounts Office.
• Assists with periodic audits of the PowerFAIDS system to identify and fix errors in order to maintain data standards.
• Keep abreast of federal and state regulatory changes.
• Interprets and implements federal, state and institutional regulations as they relate to packaging, budgets and disbursements of funds.
• Works collaboratively with staff and other departments to resolve programmatic issues, implementation of PowerFAIDS and Jenzabar system enhancements, and establishes training schedules.
• Assists with the completion of annual reports and surveys when necessary.
• Ensures security, confidentiality, and safety of financial aid records, promissory notes, etc.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:  

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting or closely related field. 
• Two (2) years of professional experience in business, accounting or related experience.
• Must have experience with and knowledge of automated student information systems.
• Must be able to obtain clearance and access for NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System), COD (Common Origination and Disbursement), and CPS (Central Processing System) within 60-days of employment. 
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, utilizing Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Understanding of federal, state, institutional and private sources of financial aid.
• Knowledge of federal regulations and Title IV programs.
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, prospective students, faculty, staff, and local community members.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team-based environment, manage conflicting priorities and work under deadlines.
• Comfortable applying judgment and working both independently and in a team.
• Writes quickly and clearly in language understood by students and parents.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Requires sedentary work that involves walking, standing, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling some of the time.  Requires the ability to lift up to 50 pounds and the ability to exert up to 10 pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work environment risks exposure to no known environmental hazards.

 APPLICATION PROCESS: 

• Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.   
• Interested candidates should complete an online application using this link: https://www.benedict.edu/careers and upload a cover letter, resume, and names and email addresses of three references.  If you have additional questions regarding the position, send an email to: human.resources@benedict.edu.

 EOE M/F/D/V