Enrollment Counselor-Financial Aid Specialist- Enrollment Management Group

Enrollment Counselor-Financial Aid Specialist- Enrollment Management Group

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Benefits: Generous benefits include paid time off including holidays and vacation, retirement match, and tuition remission for employee and dependents. Details at www.duq.edu/benefits

Location: Enrollment Management Group

Position Status: Temporary, Full-time, with benefits (35 hours per week)

Hours: Varied (Required schedule: 12pm-8pm weekdays; 9am-1pm Saturdays 1x/month per person; Online/hybrid-WFH 2-3 days per week)

Position Number: 242409/10-932

FLSA Status: Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Enrollment Counselor is responsible for guiding prospective students through the enrollment process, from initial inquiry to registration completion. This role requires strong communication skills, customer service orientation, and the ability to connect with prospective students to understand their unique needs and goals.

As an Enrollment Counselor, you'll be instrumental in guiding students to their educational journey. This role primarily involves support and detailed management of the financial aid process, providing comprehensive advising from post-admission to enrollment, and ensuring students are well-informed about financial aid and registration. You will be a key contributor to meeting our enrollment goals and upholding the institution's commitment to educational excellence.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Financial Aid Assistance: Advise students on financial aid options, helping them navigate the application process for scholarships, grants, and loans.

Explain financial aid options and application process; assist with FAFSA completion and loan applications. Provide expertise in Financial Aid Assistance through consultative approach.

Enrollment Process Coordination: Facilitate the enrollment of new students, ensuring all necessary documentation is collected and processed.

Information Sessions and Tours: Conduct in person and virtual information sessions for prospective students and their families. Ability to work evenings until 8pm and occasional weekend work required.

Database Management: Keep track of student interactions and progress using institutional CMR and database systems.

Communication: Maintain active and extensive communication with prospective and current students through various channels, including phone, email, chat, and SMS.

Student Recruitment and Engagement: No cold calling. Proactively respond and outreach to, engage and follow up with interested prospective students and re-admitted students, understanding their needs and aligning them with suitable programs.

Admission Process Management and Post-Admission Advising: Oversee the entire admissions process, from initial inquiry to the completion of registration.

This includes evaluating applications, facilitating decisions, and communicating outcomes to candidates. Provide ongoing support and guidance to students after admission, assisting them in understanding the next steps toward enrollment.

Registration Support: Advise prospective students on academic program options through one-on-one consultative interactions. Assist students with course registration, ensuring they are enrolled in the correct classes and understand their academic schedule.

Goal Achievement: Using your talents and problem-solving skills, recommend ways to help meet specific enrollment targets, analyzing data to develop strategies for improved performance. Achieve monthly goals for contacted prospects, completed applications, and semester based closed enrollments on a semester-basis

Interdepartmental Collaboration: Coordinate with other departments, including financial aid, registrar, and academic advising, to ensure a seamless student experience.

Compliance and Training: Stay informed of and adhere to all relevant regulations and policies, and engage in ongoing professional development. Ensure compliance with FERPA, Title IV, and other applicable regulations.

Completes other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum qualifications:

1 - 2 years' experience in customer relations, sales, higher education, particularly in admissions, financial aid, student accounts, or advising and registration or related fields.

Familiarity with academic programs and offerings.

Proficient in using technology for communication and data management.

Preferred qualifications:

BA/BS from an accredited institution.

Knowledge of PC and Microsoft Office Software; familiarity with Slate and Banner preferred.

Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Strong communication skills: Articulate, active listening and tailored messaging.

Collaboration: Effective in cross-functional teamwork.

Strong organizational skills: Detail-oriented with a problem-solving mindset.

Time management: Ability to multitask and work effectively under pressure.

Guidance: Advising, supporting student goals.

Persuasion: Overcoming objections, gaining commitment.

Compliance: Understanding applicable regulations.

Professional demeanor and student-focused approach.

Maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information.

Ability to make decisions in accordance with established policies.

Engage in continuous improvement of processes and practices.

Ability to be proactive, strategic and deadline-oriented in a complex organization.

Professional demeanor with the ability to deal with people in a courteous and tactful manner regardless of circumstances.

Ability to work overtime and some weekends during peak application receipt and processing periods.

Motivation to work harmoniously with a diverse group of highly qualified team members.

Commitment to the University's values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University's Mission. Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.

Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Catholic in its mission and ecumenical in spirit, Duquesne University values equality of opportunity as an educational institution and as an employer. We aspire to attract and sustain a diverse faculty and staff that reflects contemporary society, serves our academic goals and enriches our campus community. We particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups and support dual-career couples through our charter membership in this region's HERC (http://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv/).

We invite applicants for this position to learn more about our university and its Spiritan heritage by visiting http://www.duq.edu/about/mission-and-identity/mission-statement. Those invited to campus for an interview may be asked about ways in which they see their talents contributing to the continued growth of our community and furthering its mission.

Duquesne University was founded in 1878 by its sponsoring religious community, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Duquesne University is Catholic in mission and ecumenical in spirit. Motivated by its Catholic identity, Duquesne values equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.