Financial Aid Counselor II

Job Posting Title:

Financial Aid Counselor II - Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid

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Hiring Department:

Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Dec 31, 2024

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer. This position is scheduled to end on December 31, 2024, with continuation in successive years possible beyond December 31, 2024 depending on funding, workload, and job performance.

Purpose

The Financial Aid Counselor II position is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal, state, and university regulations throughout assigned processes. The FAC II possess a level of knowledge that allows them to assist with setting procedures, monitoring various reports, and ensuring completion of projects as assigned by their direct supervisor and upper management.

Responsibilities

• Run daily and weekly reports and automated processes required to remain Title IV compliant in regard to state, federal, and institutional funds.Assist with financial aid processing, including monitoring output, verifying applicant eligibility and resolving eligibility issues. Review and resolve financial aid files. Award state, university, and federal financial aid funds to students as needed. Work as a member of a designated team within the Office of Financial Aid, including specialized tasks as assigned.
• Maintain and provide content support for specialized activities within assigned team. Maintain policies and procedures manual and provide assistance to the section supervisor as needed. Design, prepare, and maintain forms, reports, and files. Maintain important dates on the Operational Calendar as it relates to Title IV activities. Assist Team Manager and/or Assistant Director in completing timely tasks within specified deadlines.Assist with developing and updating written informational materials regarding the policies and procedures involved in applying for financial aid.Assist with developing and updating presentations for financial aid workshops.
• Recalculate student eligibility based on corrections made by the student or the financial aid office.Communicate with aid applicants to clarify discrepant information, as needed.Resolve conflictingdata as identified by the US Department of Education.Award aid to students not handled by automated packaging due to changes in eligibility.
• Manage complex escalations within assigned team, including direct counseling of students and requesting of information by phone or email.Review information provided for conflict and completeness.Have a high level of understanding of the financial aid process and professionalism to accurately and understandably present and request information and documentation.
• Interact with other University departments, state and federal agencies, and industry partners. Serve as liaison for department to other parts of the university; exchange information and coordinate activities, as needed.Provide training to staff on information required based on assigned team.
• Attend professional development and training meetings. Assist students during orientation and registration as requested. Evaluate unsatisfactory academic progress appeals as needed.Assist supervisors as directed. Perform other related duties incidental to the work described for a Financial Aid Counselor.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree. Combination of at least two years' experience in student financial aid, student personnel administration, student services, or related experience. Must be organized, detail-oriented, and customer-focused. Must have superior communication and time-management skills and a professional demeanor. Must be capable of multi-tasking in a high-stress environment. Should be willing to work evenings and weekends during peak processing periods. Must be able to prioritize work assignments to complete work within required time periods. Must divest of any stock or ownership interest in student loan lender before start of employment. Shares in publicly traded mutual fund or similar investment vehicle are exempt. For more info, read the UT Austin Policy on Individual Conflicts of Interest. As a condition of hire and continued employment, must be in good standing on all federal student loans and must grant permission for the office to access NSLDS to verify such standing.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's Degree. Extremely detail oriented. Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to handle stressful situations with composure. Knowledge of and proficiency with software including MS Word and Excel. Ideal candidate will be able to set priorities and manage multiple projects. Knowledge of state and federal financial aid programs typically acquired from two or more years of experience working in the Office of Financial Aid or more than two years working in the financial aid industry. Ability to remain productive in a fast-paced, shared space environment with frequent interruptions. Ability to make presentations to individuals and groups of various sizes. Demonstrated public speaking skills.

Salary Range

$47,694

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Importantfor applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure thatALLRequired Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questionspresented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.

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