at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Student Financial Aid Eligibility- Serve as a processor for federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Review documents submitted for federal verification requirements and make updates to federal application data as appropriate.
- Review unusual or extenuating circumstances and difficult personal situations as referred to and escalate as appropriate.
- Manually package and adjust aid for students, including those with special circumstances.
- Evaluate and post financial assistance received from outside agencies and adjust other aid offered as appropriate.
- Participate in disbursement weekend activities and ongoing monitoring to ensure accurate awarding and disbursement of internal and external financial aid funds.
- Review and resolve exception reports as assigned, such as over awards, review of refunds, and enrollment changes.
- Identify and resolve issues in compliance with state, federal, and institutional regulations.
- Serve as the technical and regulatory expert and resource for one or more state, institutional, federal, or private aid program(s) as it relates to processing aid, to be assessed and determined upon hire and periodically thereafter.
- Assist in the development of financial aid policies and procedures
- Demonstrated ability to interpret, monitor and advise changes to federal and state regulations, announcements, updates to the Federal Student Aid Handbook and U.S. Department of Education announcements to ensure compliance with all oversight agencies.
- Work with Financial Aid senior staff in the development, improvement, and execution of processes and workflows.
Financial Aid Systems
- Responsible for system setup as it relates to item type creation – item type setup, aggregate limits, disbursement rules, and loan type setup.
- Serve as expert for federal and state statutes, regulations and oversight agency guidance of processing aid as it relates to system functionality.
- Assist with building test cases and implementation of testing for all system updates, data or rules table changes, packaging rules and processes, disbursement rules, ISIR load,
- verification system support, COA/Budget tables and rules.
- Oversee staff training and troubleshoot software issues as it relates to the student system.
- Assist with vital front-line, student-centric service to support university recruitment and retention initiatives, and other university goals.
- Serve as a resource to the advising team and help advisors navigate complex aid situations.
- Meet with and counsel prospective and current students and family members in-person, via phone and email, and in virtual spaces regarding general university process such as applying for, interpreting, and accepting financial aid offers; making payments; searching for work-study
- positions; and applying for scholarships.
- Participate in university events such as orientations, preview days, transfer days, and others as needed.
- Utilize appropriate referral systems and processes and respond to requests from campus partners to provide a holistic student service experience.
- Participate in university committees as a representative of the department
- Utilize strong interpersonal communication skills to work in a hectic and sometimes stressful environment in a professional manner.
- Participate in ongoing financial aid regulatory training sessions, such as the Federal Student Aid Conference, NASFAA Skills Webinars, ISAC Program Update sessions, and other professional development opportunities.
- Assume related duties as assigned by administrative staff.
