Financial Aid Counselor

About the role

The incumbent functions as a Financial Aid Counselor with program responsibility of Federal Work Study (FWS) or Scholarships for the Office of Financial Aid in the Division of Student Development and Success (SDS) at the University of the District of Columbia. Evaluates and analyzes financial information submitted by applicants to determine eligibility for financial aid in accordance with established Federal Title IV, State and University guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates the academic status of each applicant to determine eligibility for assistance as indicated by the U.S. Department of Education and the University as expressed in its Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.
• Assists in processing Professional Judgment requests. Determines if students qualify for an unusual/mitigating circumstance; exercises professional judgment by adjusting cost of attendance (COA), student aid index, or dependency status.
• Presents information regarding federal financial aid, scholarships, student employment and grants for various campus groups, high school students and parents during orientation, first-year experience workshops and recruitment sessions.
• Process scholarships, including the dissemination of information related to internal and external scholarship opportunities using Scholarship Universe, to include distribution, collection, awarding, and updating scholarship applications and new aid year set-up.
• Serves as the liaison to the Department of Athletics and processes all Grant-in-Aid (GIA) for student athletes.
• Processes all direct payment requests (440s) received from the Office of Finance.
• Serves as the point of contact for donors who wish to establish scholarship offerings at the University.
• Collaborate with donors, scholarship committees and other institutional partners.

Requirements

B.A. degree, and at least three years of experience in a financial aid office working as a financial aid counselor. Candidate must be able to access all federal and state financial aid websites (NSLDS, COD, Partner Portal, etc.). Demonstrated skills in critical thinking and problem-solving. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated basic computer software skills, such as Microsoft Office products, specifically Word and Excel.

Qualifications

The preferred candidate will possess the following additional qualifications: Thorough working knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures. Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines. Working knowledge and understanding of Banner as it relates to student financial aid.

Benefits

Employment Benefits: Selectee will be eligible for health and life insurance, annual (vacation) and sick leave and will be covered under the University of the District of Columbia's retirement plan (TIAA-CREF).

Pay

Salary Range: Up to $81,241

Schedule

Full-time, Regular