Financial Aid Specialist II

Performs functions within the Office of Student Financial Aid and Veterans Services including receipt of confidential student information and assisting students and parents with financial aid in person, by email, video conferencing, and by phone. Verifies student files and interprets Federal, State, and institutional regulations.  Supports functions in the Office of Student Financial Aid and Veterans Services and College as needed.  During peak operations, this position involves a heavy workload and requires occasional non-standard work hours.  This is a full-time, 12-month benefit-eligible position.

Open until Filled - First Review: March 20, 2024

Salary & Benefits

• Full Salary Range: $18.25 - $26.27/hour - depending on education and experience

• Anticipated Hiring Range: $18.25 - $22.26 - depending on education and experience

• Cafeteria Plan: In addition to the base compensation, benefits-eligible employees receive an extra $5,640 per year to put toward benefit costs or to be used as additional take-home pay

• Paid Holidays: 21 (including a full week off between Christmas and New Year's Day and over Spring Break)

• Vacation & Sick Leave: Approximately 17 paid vacation days & 9 paid sick leave days accrued annually

• Health Insurance and Other Coverage: see https://www.coconino.edu/benefits/full-time-benefits

Coconino Community College Diversity Statement

Coconino Community College recognizes and respects diversity and the value it brings to our communities. We appreciate and welcome cultures, identities, beliefs, experiences and all that makes us unique.  CCC champions and takes action to build an inclusive work and learning environment. We are allies and advocates, navigating respectful dialogue about our shared humanity.

• Advises students, parents, visitors, and College employees of the financial aid process, policies, and procedures by phone, email, video conferencing, or in person in a positive and professional manner.  This includes responding to incoming requests and initiating outgoing communications via phone, letter, email, video conferencing, or other electronic methods.   Provides limited educational advisement and refers students to Academic Advisement, Registration and Enrollment Services, and other support offices as necessary.

• Reviews and verifies student, spouse, and parent documentation submitted to ensure completeness, compliance, and authenticity.  Documentation submitted may be of a sensitive or confidential nature, requiring compliance with all appropriate information protection procedures and policies.  Logs documentation into the Banner computer system and scans or imports images into the document imaging system.

• Calculates Satisfactory Academic Progress for students.

• Processes consortium agreements, loan default prevention letters, and emails, third-party agency requests such as Department of Economic Security, Foster Care 2 Success, Navajo Nation Workforce Program, tribal financial need analysis documents, and internal college documents with a high level of accuracy.

• Interacts by phone, mail, and email with other College departments and outside agencies, which includes, but is not limited to, loan servicing agencies, tribal agencies, and other colleges in a positive and professional manner at all times.

• Conducts loan default prevention activities to include but not be limited to phone calls, emails, and letters.

• Evaluates, certifies, reviews, and verifies financial aid files to determine financial aid eligibility.

• Manages and responds to the financial aid general email account and voicemails.

• Performs Coursework in Program of Study (CPOS) processing.

• Utilizes the National Student Loan Data Service, FAA Access to CPS, and other Department of Education systems.

• Serves as backup to the Financial Aid and Veteran Services Advisor with check deposits and EFT transfers. Ensures information is entered into Banner and reconciled every month.

• Assists in training of Federal Work Study employees.

• Assists and backs up other financial aid staff members with file upload/download and working reports.

• Cross-trains within Financial Aid, other offices at the College, and financial aid officers at other institutions.  This may include occasional travel to regional trainings.

• Conducts training for new employees and student workers.

• Presents various financial aid topics to groups of parents and students at all CCC Campuses and around Coconino County.

• Backs up the Financial Aid and Veteran Services Advisor to include working with Veterans in the Veteran Center as needed. Completes required yearly training to maintain certifying official requirements.  This may include occasional regional Veteran trainings and online training.

• Assists in building and/or maintaining financial aid and Veteran instructional videos using video editing software.

• Understands and abides by the Office of Student Financial Aid code of conduct and ethical guidelines.

• Uses standard office equipment such as copier, telephone, fax machine, personal computer, document scanner, printer, etc.

• Service on committees is an expectation of all full-time, regular employees and part of their assigned job responsibilities.

• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Knowledge of automated processing systems.  Knowledge of government rules, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to financial aid. Skill in using computer software, such as Microsoft Word and Excel.  Ability to work in a multicultural diverse environment and successfully interact with others in a supportive, collaborative and positive manner.  Ability to multi-task. Bi-lingual a plus.

Associate's Degree in Business Administration or related field and two-year related experience; or four years of related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job and/or as approved by the Human Resources department.               

Preferred

Experience with complex information systems such as the Ellucian Banner products.