Financial Aid Advisor I

Job Title Financial Aid Advisor I Agency Texas A&M University Department Scholarships And Financial Aid Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate Job Location College Station, Texas Job Type Staff Job Description What We Want Scholarship & Financial Aid is seeking a Financial Aid Advisor I who will be primarily responsible for financial aid processing. As a financial aid processor, this person will work with a team behind the scenes to process documents and review student files. We are looking for a detail-oriented individual who can work in a fast-paced environment, multi task, problem solve, and work with spreadsheets and data. The ideal candidate will be passionate and enthusiastic about providing excellent service to students by timely working daily processing tasks. Who We Are The mission of Scholarships & Financial Aid is to provide students and their families with the financial information, resources, and support needed to attend Texas A&M University. We offer a wide range of financial assistance programs, including grants, student loans, work-study employment, military education benefits, athletic aid coordination, and short-term and emergency tuition loans. Our office administers aid and military education benefits for students at Texas A&M's College Station, Galveston, McAllen, School of Law, and Health Science Center campuses-disbursing over $1 billion in financial assistance during the last academic year. What You Need to Know Salary Range: $21.64/hour Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended Other Requirements: Occasional travel May be asked to work weekends, holidays, and outside regular business hours during peak periods Must comply with Texas A&M System Policy 07.02 Texas Higher Education Fair Lending Practices Must be in good standing on all Federal Student Loans. The U.S. Dept. of Education will not grant access to student loan data for any individual who is in default status. Access to such information is a necessity for this position. Must be able to rectify default status within three months of employment. Good standing must be maintained for continued employment. Essential Duties/Tasks Advising/Processing Under close supervision, learns to use discretion and independent judgment to advise and counsel students and their families on financial aid and scholarships Assists with reviews of student files and adjusts as needed Learns the student financial aid/scholarship process and shadows team members Award, revise and/or approve the disbursement of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines Communicate with students and their families via multiple methods (i.e. email, in-person, phone, etc.) Review application data against additional data received and resolve discrepancies or adjust data in Banner/Compass as appropriate Collaborate with on campus representatives regarding students' financial aid concerns Financial Aid Knowledge & Team Support Learns, interprets, and maintains knowledge of current federal, state, and institutional policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to financial aid Learns how staff interact with students and help transition students from prospective to currently enrolled students Ensure processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures while using critical thinking skills General Participates in and assists in the planning and execution of events for departmental initiatives (e.g. financial aid awareness programs, Aggieland Saturday, New Student Conferences) Learns how to respond to various questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid and scholarships Attends local, state, and national workshops, and conferences May assist with presentations Military Education Benefits Processor Learns to certify Veteran Affairs (VA) education benefit requests, reviewing submitted VA documentation for completion and notifying students if there are discrepancies, missing information, or incomplete documentation. Learns to track missing/incomplete student uploaded documentation in Banner/Compass. Learns to update team status report figures/dates. Learns to process and send VA debt letters received to Student Business Services (SBS) for repayment. Learns to review and process completed Primary Institution Letters (PILs) uploaded by students. Learns to reconcile VA payments with tuition and fees contracts. Learns to use discretion to respond to various questions related to federal military education benefits. Learns to work with the team and supervisor to resolve discrepancies or other problems. Learns to process eligible Hazelwood Exemption requests, reviewing submitted Hazelwood documentation for completion and notifying students if there are discrepancies, missing information, or incomplete documentation. Learns to assist in reporting Hazelwood exemptions to the Texas Veterans Commission. Learns to use discretion to respond to various questions related to state military education benefits. Learns to assist Aggie One Stop staff with student questions. Qualifications Required Education and Experience Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience. No experience required. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism, and customer service. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software. Ability to work individually or as a team in a dynamic organization. Good interpersonal communication skills. Must be literate in the English language and able to comprehend, give and follow both written and verbal instructions. Ability to organize and make decisions. Ability to work well under pressure. Ability to use tact, diplomacy, and judgment in dealing with all customers. Why Texas A&M University? We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes. Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums 12-15 days of annual paid holidays Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees Our Commitment Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service. All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check. Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.