Financial Aid Counselor

Financial Aid Counselor

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. The candidate selected for this position will keep abreast of current federal, state, institutional and other regulations pertaining to student financial aid programs administered by the Office of Financial Aid. In addition to an assigned caseload, this position will also be responsible for administering scholarships (Institutional and External). The position will be based on the Van Ness campus. However, it will require regular service at both the Van Ness and Lamond Riggs campuses to effectively support students and deliver financial aid services across sites.

The position also requires a solid understanding of the Board of Trustees' policies and procedures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Maintain an assigned caseload and assess an individual student's financial need and their eligibility to participate in all federal student aid programs, including counseling prospective and enrolled students, parents, and community members on the various aspects of financial aid. (35%)
• Perform federal need analysis to verify accuracy of information submitted on the FAFSA (10%)
• 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. (5%)
• Assist 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. (5%)
• 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. (5%)

Scholarship Program (35%)

• 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.
• Process all remitted tuition for staff, faculty and student leaders
• Serves as the liaison to the Department of Athletics and processes all Grant-in-Aid (GIA) for student athletes.
• Process 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.
• Collaboration with donors, scholarship committees and other institutional partners.

Other Duties

• Other Duties as assigned. (5%)

Minimum Job 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.

Preferred 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.