Financial Aid Coordinator

Financial Aid Coordinator

Coordinates various financial aid programs and processes within primary responsibility in a specialized area according to established policies, procedures, federal and state guidelines; assists students in applying for financial aid; and coordinates operations and activities within the Financial Aid Office.

This class is distinguished from the Financial Aid Specialist position by the performance of a variety of duties requiring considerable experience in the application and interpretation of regulations and policies governing financial aid programs and office operations such as outreach, scholarships, and federal work study.

Receives minimal direction from supervisor; works from procedures and best practices on general objectives; refers only specific matters to supervisor. May provide technical and functional direction to student workers.

The following duties are typical for this classification:

1. Administers and reconciles financial aid and scholarship programs; coordinates and participates in Financial Aid Outreach Program; collects student data and provides information about financial aid programs and program eligibility to students; assists students in filling out scholarship and financial aid forms and applications.
2. Oversees the student award process; receives and processes completed eligible financial aid files; verifies information, records, and documents; computes aid eligibility using established criteria delineated by state and federal guidelines and District policies; awards and/or adjusts state, federal and scholarship awards; enters information and amount of award into assigned programs; generates missing information letters/emails to students.
3. Coordinates the application process and administration of a variety of grants and financial aid in accordance with established procedures and State regulations.
4. Coordinates scholarship program through determination of eligibility and selection of recipients; communicates with awardees, donors, and other constituents to coordinate campus, state, and federal scholarship programs; receives and processes funds from donors and arranges for payment to scholarship recipients.
5. Prepares and maintains records related to the administration of financial aid and scholarship programs according to department procedure; completes all scholarship program certification reports for student funding requests; assists in compiling data for various financial aid reports as needed.
6. Coordinates the federal work study program on and off campus; coordinates the allocation of positions to campus departments; processes job orders and payroll documents; oversees the placement of students in available positions; monitors departmental usage of positions.
7. Coordinates assignment of dates, facilities, presentations, orders, and secures special services and equipment for classes and presentations, including audio-visual equipment and materials from local high schools and related organizations; prepares materials including, applications, handouts, presentation materials and financial aid consumer information.
8. Serves as a financial aid liaison for a variety of student groups; provides financial aid outreach to low-income or disadvantaged communities; recruits students to apply for financial aid; disseminates financial aid program information to high schools, local agencies, and the public; conducts presentations regarding scholarships, financial aid program services and opportunities to increase financial aid awareness.
9. Provides information on admissions, scholarships, financial aid and registration policies and procedures; provides guidance to students on all aspects of student financial aid such as satisfactory academic progress, eligibility, appeals, scholarships, rules and regulations; monitors financial aid applicant results.
10. Coordinates, plans, develops and conducts internal and external presentations or workshops on and off campus to provide any, prospective and continuing students with specialized assistance and information on financial aid and scholarships, to inform student of program requirements and appropriate deadlines; incorporates educational trends and community needs into workshops and presentations.
11. Stays current with federal and state regulations and guidelines pertaining to financial aid and scholarships.
12. Coordinates accurate transmittal and disbursement of various funds.
13. Assists in the import of financial aid applications as needed; processes financial aid applications (packaging) and scholarship forms according to established procedures; verifies student's academic progress in accordance with office policy's and federal regulations; requests transcripts, records and other data needed to determine status of financial aid applications, and adheres to the requirements of FERPA as it applies to student records.
14. Develops, updates, and maintains forms, spreadsheets, databases, handbooks, manuals and other written materials to facilitate student award coordination.
15. Assists in the development of student budgets, and in developing Financial Aid department policy.
16. Performs other duties related to the primary job duties.

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Core Competencies:

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Apply sorting, coding and categorizing rules
• Analyze data
• Read reports
• Draw meaning and conclusions from quantitative and/or qualitative data
• Customer Focus
• Attending to the needs and expectations of customer
• Seeks information about the immediate and longer term needs of the customer
• Anticipates what the customer may want or expect in a product or service
• Works across organizational boundaries to meet customer needs
• Reading Comprehension
• Understanding and using written information
• Knows the meaning of printed words; comprehend the literal meaning of text
• Make interpretations, applications, deductions, inferences, extrapolations from written information
• Professional and Technical Expertise
• Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Knows the rudimentary concepts of performing the essential technical operations
• Critical Thinking
• Analytically and logically evaluates information to resolve problems
• Follow guide, SOP or other step by step procedures for locating the source of a problem and fixing it
• May detect ambiguous, incomplete, or conflicting information or instructions
• Attention to Detail
• Focusing on the details of work content
• Shows care and thoroughness in adhering to process and procedures that assure quality
• Applies knowledge and skill in recognizing and evaluating details of work
• Applies skilled final touches on products
• Using Technology
• Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Using basic features and functions of software and hardware
• Experiments and finds novel uses for standard features and functions
• Adds, improves, modifies, or develops features and functionality
• Team Work/Involving Others
• Collaborating with others to achieve shared goals
• Engages others for suggestions and ideas
• Writing
• Communicating effectively in writing
• Using correct writing mechanics including spelling, vocabulary, grammar, syntax, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure
• Logically orders and structures ideas and progression of thought
• Adaptability
• Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Accept and adjust to changes and the unfamiliar
• Innovation
• Imagining and devising new and better ways of doing things
• Fix what is broken; find solutions and fixes with resources at hand
• Finds new approaches to performing familiar tasks
• Create and invent new ideas; envision the unexpected, unexplored, untried
• Listening
• Comprehend and verbal instructions and orally presented information
• Recalls or retrieves key points in a conversation
• Listen actively by rephrasing others' input cogently and accurately
• Legal and Regulatory Navigation
• Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Locates, understands, or provides factual regulator information
• Works within the bounds and limits of what is permissible
• Professional Integrity and Ethics
• Follows a clear-cut set of rules
• Understands practical necessity of rules and ethical guidelines
• Shows consistency in behavior and judgement over a long term and varied situations
• Valuing Diversity
• Shows acceptance of individual differences
• Welcomes input and inclusion of others