Job Description
Job Description
Financial Aid Technician
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Student Affairs
Shiprock Campus
Duty Schedule:
Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Weekly 40 Hours.
Summary/Objective of Position:
The Financial Aid Technician will perform clerical duties specific to awarding of Title IV Pell Grant to include helping students process paperwork, data entry, and serving as the point of contact for the Office of Financial Aid. The successful candidate will have knowledge of financial aid programs, policies, and procedures, and the ability to maintain good working relationships with students, parents, and co-workers. The candidate will oversee the Federal Work-Study Program.
Description of Essential Functions of the Position
Disclaimer: This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this list is intended to reflect the current job accurately, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Verification: 15%
- Collect and/or review financial aid applications to determine completeness and eligibility for aid;
- Verifies accuracy of documents and consistency of data from the need analysis processor, federal tax returns, financial aid transcript verification document, and student information.
- Awarding students federal Title IV for both validated and non-validated students.
- Requests additional information for incomplete or inconsistent applications to perform accurate need analysis:
- Revise student award packages according to policy guidelines governing modification when warranted. This includes: revising awards initiated either by the student, or by the scholarship agency when corrective action is deemed necessary, revising awards due to unanticipated changes in family situations, or changes due to enrollment, or their unmet need, not known at the time of the original award; and maintain and expedite financial aid files/applications through processing cycle.
- Eligibility Determination: 40%
- Responsible for administering specific financial aid programs, including eligibility determination, record maintenance, and reporting;
- Independently interview and advise students and parents, faculty, and staff in person, via phone, or by email regarding student financial aid eligibility, policies, procedures, regulations, deadlines, and availability of funds for financial aid;
- Review and track SAP on all Students;
- Denies student financial aid if he/she is determined ineligible.
- Federal Work-Study Coordination: 20%
- Responsible for the management of the Federal Work-Study program, including awarding, work authorization, monitoring student hours and earnings, reconciling the program funds, and ensuring the federal allocation is properly spent.
- Must ensure that at least one student is employed as a reading tutor for children in a reading tutoring project or performing family literacy project.
- Prepare monthly usage reports.
- Coordinate the assessment activities for the Work-Study Program including Federal setting Work-study goals and priorities, clarifying policy, and developing internal control procedures; reconciling funding to ensure institutional compliance to demonstrate administrative capabilities; collaborate with the payroll office and Department of Human Resources to ensure students payroll sources and work statuses are properly coded in the system.
- Program Compliance and Data Management: 15%
- Assist in the development of financial aid policies and the delivery of specific financial aid program procedures, counseling students, conducting financial aid workshops/ seminars/training sessions, and monitoring the aid program to ensure compliance with the federal aid regulations and policies.
- Performs data analysis to identify discrepancies in data and determines actions for resolution;
- maintain accurate student financial aid record-keeping;
- compile reports as required by funding agency; weekly reports that include updates and/or concerns;
- Bi-Weekly federal work-study reports;
- Ensuring students who receive Title IV funding do not exceed their Cost of Attendance budgets. Participates in annual audit of student records.
- General Knowledge: 10%
- Provide program coordinator and Academic Advisors with financial aid information and services through multiple methods of communication;
- respond to the academic calendar of financial aid activities to ensure deadlines are met;
- maintain strict compliance with confidentiality requirements;
- maintain open communication with Financial Aid Manager, Financial Aid Officer, and Financial Aid Coordinators when assigned various financial aid-related projects; and work with Powerfaids, Jenzabar.
- Other Duties as Assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience
Minimum:
- A Bachelor's Degree is required.
- Must have a minimum of 1 year of work experience in student financial aid.
Preferred:
- A Master's degree is preferred.
Knowledge:
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in collecting data and entry of various data sources;
- Federal Work-Study or State Work-Study experience in financial aid is a plus;
- Good Communication skills, both oral and written;
- Ability to work well with various departments while processing student-submitted information in an efficient and timely manner;
- Ability to handle large volumes of work, keep track of many details, and perform work with a high level of accuracy in a fast-paced environment;
- Computer skills and knowledge of software, including Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint, are also required.
Skills:
- Technical or manual proficiencies that are usually learned or acquired through training. Skills should be measurable and observable;
- Oral fluency in Navajo is highly desirable, but not mandatory;
- Operate office equipment such as PC, printers, Fax, scanners, etc.
- Proficiency in the use of PowerFaids, Jenzabar, computer MS Office Software Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Outlook)
Abilities:
- Ability to analyze and interpret data;
- Ability to prioritize information in a timely manner;
- Ability to communicate clearly by phone and in person;
- Detail-oriented and able to organize and manage multiple projects while maintaining a high level of accuracy;
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and issues;
- Ability to understand and explain to others technical information in a manner that is easily understood.
Physical Requirements, Work Environment & Travel:
- Work is typically done in an office work environment;
- At times required to lift typical office equipment and supplies;
- Travel required to other campuses and sites;
- Travel required by vehicle and at times by air to conferences and training out of state;
- Able to work in a high-pressure office setting during peak business times of the
Other Requirement(s):
- Valid State Driver's License;
- Ability to speak Navajo is a plus.