Financial Aid Specialist

Summary:


* Will be a part of the Finalize Aid Team and responsible for completing the non-student-facing processing for assigned responsibilities and ensuring all processing is completed timely and accurately.


* Areas of responsibility include complex and heavily regulated processing which requires specialized knowledge of financial aid regulations.


* Further, duties will vary based on team assignment but include conducting file reviews, ISIR reviews, approving financial aid awards, managing state-based funds such as Cal Grant, completing tuition obligation and R2T4 calculations, processing stipends, monitoring, and resolving title IV credit balances, processing refunds, NSLDS reporting, import/export file processing, resolving disbursement and origination errors, evaluating, and approving institutional aid, SEOG and private loan batches, completing various reports as direct.


* While this position is not student-facing, customer service is a critical aspect of this role as it supports all WCU and/or ACC campuses and works closely with various internal departments for resolution of issues and completion of multi-step processes.

 

Responsibilities:


* Managing assigned activity queue to ensure all activities are completed accurately and on time.


* Completing required reporting each week as prescribed by their leader.

This includes reconciliation reporting, productivity reporting, and assigned reports.


* Review ISIRs where appropriate as a part of their assigned processes.


* Document activities, actions taken, and guidance to campus as necessary in the Student Information System.


* Adheres to College/University policies and procedures and conducts job responsibilities per the standards set out in the College/University’s policies and procedures, applicable federal and state laws, and applicable professional standards.



* The Finalize Aid Team:
+ Completes federal verification of files selected by the Department of Education not verified by the 3rd Party Servicer.
+ Evaluates files for conflicting information and C-codes and provides guidance to resolve.
+ Determines aid eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid.
+ Monitors FAME-approved spreadsheets and updates the Student Information System accordingly.
+ Works Variance reports to identify and resolve award discrepancies.
+ Manages and processes all aspects of Cal Grant, including initial award, award updates, responding to campus inquiries, and data entry on state sites.
+ Processes Federal Work Study awards and payments

 

Qualifications:           


* Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College or University is preferred.


* Experienced candidates will be considered without a degree provided they have more than 5 years of financial aid experience and a combination of experience and education comparable to a bachelor’s degree.


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