Financial Aid Counselor and Specialist College of Medicine

Mission Driven Community Focused About Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science ()

Charles R. Drew University is located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of south Los Angeles and was founded in 1966 in the wake of the Watts uprising. CDU was founded to address inadequate medical care in the region and to provide equitable medical education opportunities for under-represented students.

CDU offers the only historically black Doctor of Medicine program west of the Mississippi and is strongly invested in the local and regional community. The university leads multiple partnerships and programs to provide equitable healthcare resources in a variety of south Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Under the general direction of the Associate Director of Financial Aid and Sr. Associate Dean Student Affairs and Admissions the Financial Aid Counselor and Specialist will support the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions College of Medicine. Financial Aid Counselor and Specialist is responsible for serving as a subject matter expert and developing effective and proactive advising strategies and solutions for College of Medicine Financial Aid applicants and recipients. The specialist advises processes documents and recommends within delegated authority; the Associate Director retains decisions requiring higher approval. This role shall also be responsible for performing program coordination reviewing eligibility responding to a high volume of requests for information and shall serve as the main point of contact for walk-in and phone traffic for College of Medicine students.

Financial Aid Counseling and Student Services

• Counsels and advises prospective current and continuing students and their families regarding ïnancial aid programs eligibility requirements application processes and available ïnancial resources.
• Advises students and families on how to effectively utilize and leverage available ïnancial aid resources to meet educational expenses and minimize educational debt.
• Provides guidance to students regarding loan borrowing debt management repayment considerations and ïnancial aid rights and responsibilities.
• Corresponds effectively and in a timely manner with students regarding ïnancial aid eligibility academic progress documentation requirements awards and other ïnancial aid matters.
• Updates ïnancial aid information session and new student orientation presentations and participates in sessions for prospective and current students as needed.
• Participates in campus and community outreach activities to provide information regarding ïnancial aid programs services and resources.
• Scholarship coordination and accreditation support. Include award reconciliation renewal requirements service commitments where applicable and documentation of counseling access and effectiveness.
• Responsible for a planned sequence of advising financial education and debt management activities from matriculation through graduation.

Financial Aid Administration Eligibility and Compliance

• Interprets and applies federal state and institutional ïnancial aid policies and regulations to ensure accurate consistent and equitable administration of ïnancial assistance.
• Stays current on federal state and institutional ïnancial aid policies regulations and compliance requirements and applies current guidance to student ïnancial aid administration.
• Receives and reviews ïnancial aid documents from students and families and prepares ïles for review eligibility determination and ïnancial aid packaging.
• Assists with application follow-up communication processes and federal and institutional ïnancial aid
• Prepares and updates ïnancial aid award notiïcations in accordance with established policies and
• Ensures compliance with federal regulations state law CDU Executive Orders and institutional policies in the administration of student ïnancial aid.
• Assists with Budget Appeal applications and Loan Modiïcation Requests in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Assists with special projects related to ïnancial aid administration which may include coordinating debt management programs and external scholarship opportunities.

Student Records Documentation and Data Management

• Maintains accurate and complete student ïnancial aid records and ïles in accordance with institutional policies and applicable recordkeeping requirements.
• Prepares organizes and maintains student ïnancial aid records and documentation to support accurate processing and compliance.
• Maintains the accuracy and integrity of ïnancial aid records and information within ïnancial aid databases and related systems.
• Reviews and follows up on outstanding documentation and maintain appropriate records of student eligibility and ïnancial aid activity.

Financial Aid Systems and Operational Support

• Assists the COM Associate Director with ïnancial aid system setup testing annual updates and resolution of system-related issues.
• Assists with the daily operations of the ïnancial aid office including front-counter customer service telephone coverage mailings data entry and retrieval ïle organization and other operational activities as
• Supports the implementation and maintenance of ïnancial aid processing workïows and procedures.
• Assists with operational projects and process improvement initiatives as assigned.

Qualiïcations

• Experience: 3 to 4 years of professional work experience required.
• Experience: 3 years of financial aid counseling or administration including two years directly serving graduate or professional health sciences students.
• Education: Bachelors degree required.

Required Skills

• Must demonstrate high-quality customer service orientation and ability to effectively collaborate with students parents staff and outside organizations.
• Strong written and oral communication skills Must be able to interpret and explain university and federal policies to students and parents.
• Demonstrated capacity to work both autonomously and collaboratively within a team
• Ability to work efficiently and maintain accuracy under shifting
• Demonstrates maturity professionalism and discretion with a high level of awareness and care when handling sensitive and conïdential information.
• Proïcient with personal computer office applications e-mail and (I.e. Google Suite Microsoft)
• Ability to learn software applications speciïc to admissions and enrollment management as well as customer service and customer relations management
• Familiarity with ïnancial aid software packages (preferred).
• Ability to quickly learn and maintain awareness of university functions policies and available
• Ability to interact with colleagues supervisors and customers in multiple facets. (i.e. face to face via Zoom and over the phone)

COMPLEXITY:

• The ability to perform highly detailed work with sustained attention and care while providing/obtaining information on numerous inquiries is paramount to success in this position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Occasional stooping. Frequent standing. Constant walking sitting climbing reaching high/low levels finger movement feeling speaking clearly hearing conversationally and seeing far and near. Lifting up to 35 pounds; carrying materials to various locations

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Occasionally required to work in confined space social environments and/or public events.

• General office environment. This office emphasizes the maintenance of security and conïdentiality of all ïnancial aid records for the College of Medicine MD Students.

• Student facing position and is located on campus.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• The mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Frequent work on a variety of unrelated tasks. Constant calculating interrupted work work on a variety of interrelated tasks and use of sustained concentration reasoning judgment resourcefulness analytical ability and ingenuity. Able to prioritize work for best outcomes.

Special Requirements:

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse community.

COVID-19

As a health professions institution of higher education Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science seeks to protect the health and safety of the University community. As a condition of enrollment and employment students faculty and staff must comply with the current CDU Covid-19 requirements as described on the CDU Covid-19 webpage. Please visit the CDU Return to Campus website or email the Campus Nursing Office at .

Excellent Benefits:

Your wellbeing is important to us Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) offers a comprehensive health and wellness benefits package to help you stay healthy and provide financial you protection.

Full Time Exempt

Salary: $68000 - $72000

Conditional Statement: The employment status of this position is classified as Conditional. Conditional employment means that the job exists contingent upon funding limitations of restricted funds or the duration of a specific program project grant or contract. The duration of grant for this position is through June 30 2030.

EEO Statement: Charles R. Drew University is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. Applicants will be considered without regard to gender race age color religion national origin sexual orientation genetic information marital status disability or covered veteran status.

Fair Chance Statement: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science will consider qualified applicants including those with criminal histories in a manner consistent with state and local Fair Chance laws.

Required Experience:

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