Financial Aid Advisor I – Verification - LF

East Texas A&M University • Commerce, TX

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Aid Advisor I, under direction of the Assistant Director, Financial Aid, serves as a subject matter expert for the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in the area of verification, as well as, provides and promotes service excellence through courteous, informed, accessible and professional engagement. Provides administrative effectiveness and financial aid services, through an emphasis on individual attention to students and high quality customer service. Corresponds with current and prospective students on financial aid matters. Provides support to the Assistant Director, Financial Aid. ETAMU is a fast-growing public university with a strong reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and student success. With over 140+ degree programs, a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and nationally ranked online and graduate programs, ETAMU is committed to transforming lives through quality education. Our employees benefit from a collaborative community, cutting-edge research opportunities, and outstanding resources.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Oral and written communication skills.
• Customer service skills.
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.
• Ability to use technology to automate processes.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
• Some evening, weekends and travel.
• Must be in good standing on any Federal student loans.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in organization, planning or in higher education preferred.
• A thorough and working knowledge of federal, state, and East Texas A&M University laws, regulations, practices and procedures pertaining to student financial aid a plus.
• Ability to access all Department of Education delivery systems.
• A thorough and working knowledge of BANNER.

Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert on Laserfiche and index submitted documents for processing.
• Respond to general department emails and specific communication inquiries submitted by students regarding the application process for grants, loans, scholarships, work-study, and/or other information related to financial aid, including verification.
• Process submitted verification documents to resolve student tracking requirements and conflicting FAFSA information.
• Disseminate financial aid information regarding applications or any other information as required for current and prospective students.
• Maintain records on appropriate reports for tracking institutional effectiveness measures and capitalizes on opportunities to improve customer service and satisfaction.
• Input data and ensure the accuracy of all information entered into the financial aid management system (FAMS) system, BANNER.
• Research questions and respond to customer inquiries accurately and expediently.
• Provide personalized customer service at the highest level. Understand and satisfy customer needs.
• Serve as backup for private loan disbursement.
• Process financial aid appeals and special circumstances as needed.
• Assist with training of new hires for the Financial Aid Office and Front Line staff.
• Provide operational support to the Assistant Director, Financial Aid when special projects are required.
• Serve as a backup for TASFA application processing.

Benefits

• Employee tuition assistance for master’s and doctoral programs.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance.
• ETAMU contributes to employee health and basic life insurance premiums.
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays, plus up to eight hours of paid sick leave and vacation each month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), with optional additional retirement plans (ORP).
• Physical wellness program and wellness release time for eligible employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level