Financial Aid Counselor for Scholarship Operations
UNCG
Posting Details Posting Details Requisition Number S2869 Position Number 999019 Position Classification Title Student Services Specialist Functional Title Financial Aid Counselor for Scholarship Operations Position Type Staff University Information Located in North Carolina’s third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal — helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University’s 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B. Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit The purpose of the UNCG Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is to provide students and their families with the resources necessary for financing the pursuit of higher education. Funding options administered by the OFAS include need-based, non-need-based, grant, scholarship, loan, work study, federal, state, institutional, and outside monies. ln addition, the primary purposes of the OFAS are: To develop policy and implement procedures that work with regulatory compliance for the $200,000,000 in financial aid assistance administered yearly by the University. To assist in realizing the mission and ideals of the University. To offer effective and timely communication of financial aid eligibility criteria and receipt guidelines to the entire University community. To work to provide a quality environment and enriching experience to all members of the University community. To work collaboratively with other university offices to achieve success of the university. To develop goals in recruitment, retention, and graduation rates with respect to our policies and procedures.
Position Summary This Financial Aid Counselor position serves as the primary counselor for scholarships which entails assisting the Assistant Director for Scholarships with Scholarship Universe maintenance.
This counseling position also serves as the liaison with Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which entails processing athletic scholarships for student athletes and providing information regarding outside resources for student athletes. This position also processes scholarship reduction and non-renewal letters.
This counseling position also serves as the liaison with the Office of Contract and Grant Accounting. The counselor processes Grant Award Recipient Forms and responds to Principal Investigator questions regarding student eligibility.
The secondary responsibilities of this position is to serve as a Financial Aid Counselor to the public by developing expert knowledge of the federal, state, and institutional aid regulations and guidelines and administering financial aid knowledge to students and families to assist them in resolving the issues they encounter when navigating the complex financial aid process. Counselors must apply decision-making and discernment skills in order to resolve the multitude of issues that families encounter in the aid process. The counselors must be ready to adapt their style to the many different types of students they work with- new freshmen, transfers, graduate students, online students, parents, veterans, and other family members. The financial aid counselor encounters a wider variety of people, student types, and ages than any other office on campus. They may be working with a first-generation freshman one minute and then working with a graduate student on plus loans the next. They have to understand the needs of each type and the issues that each might encounter in order to properly service the student.
The counselors must be adept at communicating complex aid regulations in a manner that first-generation students and families can understand and navigate. They must be articulate and accurate in their communication but also display empathy because they often deliver bad news. The counselors will encounter students/families who are upset and are displaying their emotions through tears or anger. They must utilize counseling skills to de-escalate tense situations regularly. We do not have enough aid to cover the unmet need of the vast majority of our students. Students and families often take out their frustrations on the frontline counselors who must be adept at handling these tricky situations and determining what they can and can’t do for families under current guidelines and regulations.
Counselors are responsible for expert communication skills in multiple modes- email, phone, chat, in-person, and virtual. They need a thorough understanding of how to deliver instruction and information appropriately in each medium. They guide families through complex processes and have to approach their guidance differently based on the mode of communication.
Often in their communication with students, they have to conduct follow-up processing after their interaction. Counselors analyze information to ensure the FAFSA data is accurate. They process received financial aid documentation and then follow up with the student to confirm processing has been completed. Their interactions aren’t simply communicating information, but instead actively resolving issues by processing documentation and resolving issues in Banner and then following up with the student.
Counselors are also called upon to give parent night presentations at local high schools, deliver financial literacy presentations to FYE course sections, and participate in Admissions recruiting events explaining the aid process to new students and families.
Minimum Qualifications
Key Responsibility Liaison to the Athletics Department and maintenance of athletic scholarships. Essential Tasks Develops and maintains an effective working relationship with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Facilitates the processing of athletic scholarships as part of the total financial aid award package for student-athletes based on information provided by the athletic department. Has the ability to interpret policy to respond to student requests regarding other available resources for student-athletes. Uses knowledge of the financial aid awarding process to complete scholarship reductions and generate non-renewal letters. Ensures athletic awards are in compliance with any other federal, state or institutional aid awarded to student-athletes.
Key Responsibility Outside Scholarship Processing Essential Tasks Independently responds to requests from scholarship donors for student billing, enrollment verification, and university contact information. Maintains working relationships with scholarship donors by answering questions and providing information on the scholarship process at UNCG. Processes incoming scholarship checks, creates deposit slips, and reviews ACH payments for outside scholarships. Applies knowledge of financial aid awarding procedures to review and adjust financial aid awards for students receiving outside scholarships. Reviews data to identify funds that need to be returned to donors based on student ineligibility and works with campus partners to return those funds. Serves as mentor/trainer to front line counseling staff on the processing of outside scholarships. Monitors several outside scholarship portals and provides appropriate award eligibility information.
Key Responsibility Contract and Grant Processing Essential Tasks Serves as a point of contact to the Office of Contract and Grant Accounting. Process Grant Award Recipient Forms. Utilizes ability to assess issues pertaining to student eligibility to respond to questions from Principal Investigators (PI’s) for specific grant programs. Maintains knowledge of federal policies regarding the types of funding that are OFA (Other Financial Assistance) such as gift cards and travel reimbursement and analyzes data to ensure compliance with the awarding policies. Provides feedback to campus partners as to appropriate course of action regarding the awarding of Contract and Grant funding.
Key Responsibility Applying expert knowledge of federal, state, and institutional regulations and guidelines to students through communication and counseling. Essential Tasks Financial Aid Counselors use a variety of modes of communication daily (email, phone, in-person, chat, virtual) to understand student/family situations and communicate guidance and provide assistance in resolving the issues students encounter in the complex aid process. Discernment, empathic counseling, and expert regulation knowledge must be applied to each situation to determine the best course of action for the student. The counselor’s knowledge must be expansive – covering basic aid issues to dealing with students who have exhausted their aid eligibility or lost their ability to receive aid due to poor performance. The counselor must quickly assess the situation, analyze the best course of action, and discern the appropriate counseling skills to use given the situation. The high volume of clients is another added complexity: We have over 15,000 students on financial aid for only eight counselors; The counseling load for each counselor is enormous and the volume is overwhelming; They must learn how to work fast and smart all the while making each student/family feel heard and their issues resolved. Competency ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Competency Managing Work Processes Competency Description Ability to communicate and work with employees to gain understanding of a commitment to set work standards, processes, and procedures. Ability to provide ongoing feedback to employees on performance expectations and identifies and suggests areas of improvement. Ability to create and facilitate learning opportunities that may include active participation, networking with colleagues in other organizations or attending in-house training on related systems operations. Ability to provide directional input on program services Competency Level Journey Competency Decision Making Competency Description Knowledge and use of effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions and/or reaching conclusions. Ability to take action consistent with available facts, constraints, and anticipated consequences. Ability to analyze and synthesize relevant policies and legislation, and apply them across a variety of situations. Competency Level Journey Competency Coordination - Operations Competency Description Ability to coordinate and manage a broad scope of work operations and processes to meet programmatic expectations and outcomes. Competency Level Journey Competency Program Management Competency Description Ability to address and resolve routine service matters, referring to higher authority for issues outside standard operating procedures. Ability to collect, research and provide preliminary data analysis. Ability to create standardized reports for review by supervisor. Ability to proactively participate in promoting student learning and leadership involvement initiatives in meeting program goals and services. Ability to prioritize workload. Competency Level Journey Competency Client/Customer Service Competency Description Ability to identify and understand student service issues, client needs, and matters of a recurring nature to effectively address and resolve the issue. Initiate creative programming to engage student participation. Ability to collect, research, and analyze information for processing, monitoring, or measuring data. Ability to develop some internal processes and prioritizes workload. Ability to generate non-standard reports. May require ability to function as a team member of more than one student service program team or specific area of expertise. May require ability to assign and review the work of others. Ability to mentor and assist others in various areas of technical expertise. Ability to conduct training for groups and individuals. Competency Level Journey Competency Information/Records Administration Competency Description Ability to perform research, data collection, and analysis of information, and report writing. Ability to utilize, reconcile, and manipulate data from different internal and external software systems. Ability to apply an in-depth knowledge of program specialty or multiple program areas to improve existing programs or develop new programs. Competency Level Journey Competency Client/Customer Service Competency Description Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with client/customer in order to initiate, facilitate and complete work in assigned student service program area. Ability to independently interpret policy and procedure within delegated authority when responding to client/customer requests and non-standard issues. Ability to recognize how individual decisions impact other program areas and their goals. Ability to employ de-escalation techniques and conflict management strategies when appropriate. Ability to understand the role of clients in their work environment. Competency Level Journey Competency Managing Work and Performance Competency Description Ability to monitor work of student workers and staff, closely and ongoing, to assess and problem-solve. Ability to review performance on a daily basis and provide suggestions and gives instructions for improving work. Competency Level Contributing ADA Checklist ADA Checklist
Position Summary This Financial Aid Counselor position serves as the primary counselor for scholarships which entails assisting the Assistant Director for Scholarships with Scholarship Universe maintenance.
This counseling position also serves as the liaison with Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which entails processing athletic scholarships for student athletes and providing information regarding outside resources for student athletes. This position also processes scholarship reduction and non-renewal letters.
This counseling position also serves as the liaison with the Office of Contract and Grant Accounting. The counselor processes Grant Award Recipient Forms and responds to Principal Investigator questions regarding student eligibility.
The secondary responsibilities of this position is to serve as a Financial Aid Counselor to the public by developing expert knowledge of the federal, state, and institutional aid regulations and guidelines and administering financial aid knowledge to students and families to assist them in resolving the issues they encounter when navigating the complex financial aid process. Counselors must apply decision-making and discernment skills in order to resolve the multitude of issues that families encounter in the aid process. The counselors must be ready to adapt their style to the many different types of students they work with- new freshmen, transfers, graduate students, online students, parents, veterans, and other family members. The financial aid counselor encounters a wider variety of people, student types, and ages than any other office on campus. They may be working with a first-generation freshman one minute and then working with a graduate student on plus loans the next. They have to understand the needs of each type and the issues that each might encounter in order to properly service the student.
The counselors must be adept at communicating complex aid regulations in a manner that first-generation students and families can understand and navigate. They must be articulate and accurate in their communication but also display empathy because they often deliver bad news. The counselors will encounter students/families who are upset and are displaying their emotions through tears or anger. They must utilize counseling skills to de-escalate tense situations regularly. We do not have enough aid to cover the unmet need of the vast majority of our students. Students and families often take out their frustrations on the frontline counselors who must be adept at handling these tricky situations and determining what they can and can’t do for families under current guidelines and regulations.
Counselors are responsible for expert communication skills in multiple modes- email, phone, chat, in-person, and virtual. They need a thorough understanding of how to deliver instruction and information appropriately in each medium. They guide families through complex processes and have to approach their guidance differently based on the mode of communication.
Often in their communication with students, they have to conduct follow-up processing after their interaction. Counselors analyze information to ensure the FAFSA data is accurate. They process received financial aid documentation and then follow up with the student to confirm processing has been completed. Their interactions aren’t simply communicating information, but instead actively resolving issues by processing documentation and resolving issues in Banner and then following up with the student.
Counselors are also called upon to give parent night presentations at local high schools, deliver financial literacy presentations to FYE course sections, and participate in Admissions recruiting events explaining the aid process to new students and families.
Minimum Qualifications
BACHELOR’S DEGREE; OR EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE. ALL DEGREES MUST BE RECEIVED FROM APPROPRIATELY ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS.
Additional Required Certifications, Licensures, and Certificates Preferred Qualifications Alternate Option If no applicants apply who meet the required competency level and training & experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations. Special Instructions to Applicants Applicants are required to upload a list of at least three (3) professional references that includes: Name, Company Name, Type of reference (Professional, Supervisor, Colleague, Academic, or Personal). One (1) of those references will need to be a current or previous supervisor. Email Address Contact Phone Number Recruitment Range $43,941 - $47,806 Org #-Department Financial Aid - 10208 Work Hours of Position 8 A.M - 5 P.M., M-F Number of Months per Year 12 Posting Requirements Job Family Information & Education Career Banded Title Student Services Specialist Open Date 09/20/2024 Close Date 10/04/2024 FTE 1.000 FLSA Non-Exempt If other, please indicate If time-limited, please specify end date for appointment. Salary Grade Equivalency Key Responsibilities ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Key Responsibility Assist with the maintenance of the University’s Award Management Scholarship Software and processing of institutional scholarships. Essential Tasks Under the supervision of the Senior Assistant Director for scholarships, this position will assist in the maintenance of the University’s Award Management Scholarship software, Scholarship Universe. Collects and researches information for processing and monitoring data including quality control checks and updating of scholarship qualifications in the system. This position assists with the manual processing of Scholarship Recipient Forms. Monitors awards for compliance with the Statement of Establishment for each scholarship. Uses professional judgment to respond to departmental inquiries about student eligibility and to navigate disagreements that arise regarding the selection of award recipients.Key Responsibility Liaison to the Athletics Department and maintenance of athletic scholarships. Essential Tasks Develops and maintains an effective working relationship with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Facilitates the processing of athletic scholarships as part of the total financial aid award package for student-athletes based on information provided by the athletic department. Has the ability to interpret policy to respond to student requests regarding other available resources for student-athletes. Uses knowledge of the financial aid awarding process to complete scholarship reductions and generate non-renewal letters. Ensures athletic awards are in compliance with any other federal, state or institutional aid awarded to student-athletes.
Key Responsibility Outside Scholarship Processing Essential Tasks Independently responds to requests from scholarship donors for student billing, enrollment verification, and university contact information. Maintains working relationships with scholarship donors by answering questions and providing information on the scholarship process at UNCG. Processes incoming scholarship checks, creates deposit slips, and reviews ACH payments for outside scholarships. Applies knowledge of financial aid awarding procedures to review and adjust financial aid awards for students receiving outside scholarships. Reviews data to identify funds that need to be returned to donors based on student ineligibility and works with campus partners to return those funds. Serves as mentor/trainer to front line counseling staff on the processing of outside scholarships. Monitors several outside scholarship portals and provides appropriate award eligibility information.
Key Responsibility Contract and Grant Processing Essential Tasks Serves as a point of contact to the Office of Contract and Grant Accounting. Process Grant Award Recipient Forms. Utilizes ability to assess issues pertaining to student eligibility to respond to questions from Principal Investigators (PI’s) for specific grant programs. Maintains knowledge of federal policies regarding the types of funding that are OFA (Other Financial Assistance) such as gift cards and travel reimbursement and analyzes data to ensure compliance with the awarding policies. Provides feedback to campus partners as to appropriate course of action regarding the awarding of Contract and Grant funding.
Key Responsibility Applying expert knowledge of federal, state, and institutional regulations and guidelines to students through communication and counseling. Essential Tasks Financial Aid Counselors use a variety of modes of communication daily (email, phone, in-person, chat, virtual) to understand student/family situations and communicate guidance and provide assistance in resolving the issues students encounter in the complex aid process. Discernment, empathic counseling, and expert regulation knowledge must be applied to each situation to determine the best course of action for the student. The counselor’s knowledge must be expansive – covering basic aid issues to dealing with students who have exhausted their aid eligibility or lost their ability to receive aid due to poor performance. The counselor must quickly assess the situation, analyze the best course of action, and discern the appropriate counseling skills to use given the situation. The high volume of clients is another added complexity: We have over 15,000 students on financial aid for only eight counselors; The counseling load for each counselor is enormous and the volume is overwhelming; They must learn how to work fast and smart all the while making each student/family feel heard and their issues resolved. Competency ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Competency Managing Work Processes Competency Description Ability to communicate and work with employees to gain understanding of a commitment to set work standards, processes, and procedures. Ability to provide ongoing feedback to employees on performance expectations and identifies and suggests areas of improvement. Ability to create and facilitate learning opportunities that may include active participation, networking with colleagues in other organizations or attending in-house training on related systems operations. Ability to provide directional input on program services Competency Level Journey Competency Decision Making Competency Description Knowledge and use of effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions and/or reaching conclusions. Ability to take action consistent with available facts, constraints, and anticipated consequences. Ability to analyze and synthesize relevant policies and legislation, and apply them across a variety of situations. Competency Level Journey Competency Coordination - Operations Competency Description Ability to coordinate and manage a broad scope of work operations and processes to meet programmatic expectations and outcomes. Competency Level Journey Competency Program Management Competency Description Ability to address and resolve routine service matters, referring to higher authority for issues outside standard operating procedures. Ability to collect, research and provide preliminary data analysis. Ability to create standardized reports for review by supervisor. Ability to proactively participate in promoting student learning and leadership involvement initiatives in meeting program goals and services. Ability to prioritize workload. Competency Level Journey Competency Client/Customer Service Competency Description Ability to identify and understand student service issues, client needs, and matters of a recurring nature to effectively address and resolve the issue. Initiate creative programming to engage student participation. Ability to collect, research, and analyze information for processing, monitoring, or measuring data. Ability to develop some internal processes and prioritizes workload. Ability to generate non-standard reports. May require ability to function as a team member of more than one student service program team or specific area of expertise. May require ability to assign and review the work of others. Ability to mentor and assist others in various areas of technical expertise. Ability to conduct training for groups and individuals. Competency Level Journey Competency Information/Records Administration Competency Description Ability to perform research, data collection, and analysis of information, and report writing. Ability to utilize, reconcile, and manipulate data from different internal and external software systems. Ability to apply an in-depth knowledge of program specialty or multiple program areas to improve existing programs or develop new programs. Competency Level Journey Competency Client/Customer Service Competency Description Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with client/customer in order to initiate, facilitate and complete work in assigned student service program area. Ability to independently interpret policy and procedure within delegated authority when responding to client/customer requests and non-standard issues. Ability to recognize how individual decisions impact other program areas and their goals. Ability to employ de-escalation techniques and conflict management strategies when appropriate. Ability to understand the role of clients in their work environment. Competency Level Journey Competency Managing Work and Performance Competency Description Ability to monitor work of student workers and staff, closely and ongoing, to assess and problem-solve. Ability to review performance on a daily basis and provide suggestions and gives instructions for improving work. Competency Level Contributing ADA Checklist ADA Checklist
"R" for Rare (0-30%), "O" for Occasional (30-60%), "F" for Frequent (60-90%), "C" for Constant (90-100%)
Physical Effort Reading - F, Writing - F, Hearing - F, Talking - F Work Environment Inside - C Applicant Documents Required Documents Resume/CV Cover Letter List of References Optional Documents Posting Specific QuestionsRequired fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
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