1487 Financial Aid Specialist

1487 Financial Aid Specialist

San Francisco Community College District

Salary: See Position Description

Location: San Francisco, CA

Position Description:

Once (1) Permanent- Exempt, Full Time, Full Year 260 days position. Permanent-Exempt. Exempt employees are considered "at will" and serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.

NOTE: THIS POSITION IS NOT A REMOTE WORK POSITION AND REQUIRES AN OFFICE PRESENCE.

Under general supervision of the Financial Aid Supervisor or designee, the primary responsibilities for 1487 Financial Aid Specialist includes assisting students and families with financial aid options and processing federal, state and institutional financial aid applications in accordance with federal, state and institutional regulations. The incumbent will perform multifaceted and specialized financial aid functions in the initial phase of assisting students with the financial aid process, verification, and eligibility determination. Perform specialized financial aid document verification, data entry, document scanning, and needs analysis work for the Financial Aid Office. Collect, assess, and verify completion of documents necessary for students to complete their financial aid file. Duties include but are not limited to: conducting presentations on or off campus, resolving financial aid questions, helping students resolve discrepancies, processing financial aid awards, reconciling reports and submitting financial aid data to various federal and state agencies.

NOTE: Although, this position will be assigned to the Ocean Campus, it may require working at various off-site financial aid office locations, various shifts - mornings, evenings, and weekends as needed.

Job Duties:

Please note the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to the 1487 -Financial Aid Specialist class code and not intended to be an inclusive list.

Essential Functions

• Acts as liaison to the business office, Admissions and Records office, Counseling Department and faculties for the purpose of communicating financial aid information and resolving discrepancies.
• Assists with retention support (e.g. with students (ALERT); workshops, meetings, explanation of EOPS responsibility contract, etc.) for the purpose of providing understanding and opportunity for student success.
• Attends a variety of trainings and conferences (in and out of state), and webinars (e.g. federal regulation conferences, state conferences, staff meetings, etc.) for the purpose of communicating and receiving important information and updates regarding or involving financial aid.
• Communicates with staff, students, other CCSF Departments, community agencies for the purpose of providing information or guidance and assisting with all CCSF financial aid processes.
• Conducts confidential interviews with students, parents, potential students regarding the financial aid process (e.g. eligibility, disbursement options, SAP standards, Title IV funds, web grants, etc.) for the purpose of advising, counseling and assisting students/parents with completing federal and state financial aid applications.
• Determines student eligibility for financial aid (e.g. state and federal grants, work study program, FAFSA, etc.) for the purpose of providing optimal opportunities for students while ensuring compliance with Federal, State and College policies, regulations, guidelines, rules and laws.
• Determines dependency override (e.g. students experiencing extenuating/unusual life circumstances, etc.) for the purpose of re-evaluating necessary changes in financial aid for student needs.
• Facilitates a variety of outreach activities (e.g. financial aid orientation workshops at CCSF and other college campus, a variety of veteran eligibility processes, etc.) for the purpose of communicating important information to students regarding financial aid.
• Maintains financial aid records in department categorical/federal program funding and funding for students (e.g. student disbursements, necessary student information collected, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and privacy of student financial records in accordance with regulations.
• Manages front counter processes (e.g. reviewing financial aid applications, collecting, assessing forms; maintaining and organizing publications and bulletin boards, answering student inquiries, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring accurate and complete communication for all front counter visitors.
• Monitors student records for a variety of issues (e.g. overpayment, exceeding eligibility limits, status changes, SAP, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of reported information, availability of funds, and compliance with established financial guidelines and program policies, practices and regulatory requirements.
• Operates financial aid software applications (e.g. updates, data input troubleshooting, state and federal online systems, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring efficient operations in compliance with related regulations.
• Processes and oversees federal/state financial aid program processes (e.g. grants, loans, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring that disbursements are made in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
• Resolves financial aid process discrepancies, conflicting information, and verification for the purpose of ensuring students receive up-to-date information and full benefits of financial aid.
• Serves as a resource (e.g. outside agencies, other colleges, other CCSF Departments, etc.) for the purpose of serving as resource, explaining processes to other employees and student workers in the department, and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulatory requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in Developmental Psychology, Counseling, Social and Behavioral Sciences or related field from an accredited college or university; AND;
• One (1) year of verifiable work experience in federal and state financial aid programs, advising, evaluating eligibility, and awarding students. Experience must have included preparing and maintaining a wide variety of documents and reports, public contact, checking and reviewing documents for completeness, and performing mathematical computations.
• Substitution: Work experience in a financial aid program as described in #2 above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• Note: Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds of financial aid materials may be required.
• College Work Study and Student Lab Aide experience with the District will be considered/applied as qualifying experience per an agreement made between the District and SEIU. This agreement will allow District students to take advantage of employment opportunities.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Strong interperson communication skills.
• Public speaking experience.
• Knowledge of federal and state student financial aid programs and application process.
• Knowledge of federal and state student financial aid regulations.
• Direct experience with financial aid packaging, verification procedures, and student aid eligibility guidelines.
• Four years of financial aid experience preferably from higher education institution.
• Experience in serving students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Two years of Banner System experience.
• Bilingual preferred.

Benefits:

• Additional Days Off with Pay. As stipulated in the appropriate bargaining agreements and board resolutions, classified employees working full year (260 days/year) work schedules are granted, as paid days off, the days between Christmas and New Year's Day, as well as an additional five (5) paid days off during spring break. Eligible school-term-only (STO) employees who are not scheduled to work the designated days between Christmas and New Year's Day shall be granted three (3) paid days off to be scheduled by mutual agreements between the employee and supervisor. Eligible school-term-only (STO) employees who are not scheduled to work the days designated as Spring Break will not be paid for these days off.
• New employees hired on or after October 1, 2013, will contribute 2% of salary to the San Francisco Retiree Health Care Trust Fund (RHCTF).

ADA Statement:

Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to participate in this hiring process should contact the Human Resources Department at View email address on click.appcast.io to make the necessary arrangements. Please be aware that verification of a covered disability under the ADA may be required.

Selection Procedure/Conditions of Employment:

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience. Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine applicants' qualifications. Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the selection process. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview.

Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with City College of San Francisco and the City and County of San Francisco.

EEO Statement:

It is the policy of the City College of San Francisco to provide all persons with equal employment and educational opportunities