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Financial Aid Specialist

Position Number: B93PD
Starting Wage/Salary: $20.71-$21.87/hr plus exceptional benefits
Close Date: 08/17/2025

Primary Purpose:

• Participate as part of the Student Financial Aid team to support the Colleges mission, vision, values and goals and a shared vision of excellence in student services.
• Participate in continuous improvement by inviting and providing honest and timely feedback. Adjust work flow and tasks in order to support the overall needs of the team.
• Manage the technical flow of loan transactions from all sources, including Banner and Department of Education systems.
• Use college and Federal Student Aid portals to import and export loan files to federal agencies and third-party servicers. Read available training sources and participate in assigned professional development to determine if changes are being made to loan regulations or processes.
• Assist students in understanding various types of loans (Stafford, PLUS, Alternative) and resolve data issues with prospective, current, and past loans.
• Counsel students and parents in responsible borrowing.
• Revise loans with financial aid award to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Perform monthly loan reconciliation.

• Answer student questions, provide personal financial aid information and materials to walk-in visitors and students.
• Provide financial aid information to callers on department phone line. Forward information for follow-up by other staff members if necessary.
• Monitor department email inquiries, track and respond to all messages in a timely manner. Forward information for follow-up by other staff members if necessary.
• Analyze and recommend improvements and program changes necessary for quality customer service and regulation compliance.
• Share program information and resources with interested faculty, staff, and community partners.
• Serve on college committees and task forces as assigned.
• Perform other essential duties as assigned.

• Beginning on the Tuesday of the third week of the term, runs reports which identifies students who have dropped or changed all classes from credit to audit during the previous week.
• Calculates unearned original charges, returns the money to the appropriate agency and notifies the student of the charge to their account.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to be familiar with internal department processes so that, if necessary, can serve as backup personnel for processing student files.
• Ability to handle production projects, problem research and file processing while dealing with continual interruptions from counter traffic and phone calls.
• Ability to use good listening skills to communicate with students in response to a variety of questions i.e., Satisfactory Academic Policy, reasons for financial aid not being ready, amount available to borrow, ramifications of dropping classes, etc.
• Ability/skills to competently advise and/or serve students from a variety of backgrounds, respecting cultural and socio-economic differences.
• Ability to determine timelines for format/design, production and mailing of large volumes of letters to students.
• Ability to understand and effectively use administrative software system (Banner) to accomplish job functions.
• Ability to work well in teams and with customers.
• Ability to understand and use software to create work applications and reports.
• Ability to work accurately and in detail.
• Ability to understand all internal policies and stay current with financial aid regulatory changes by monitoring professional websites and attending seminars as required.
• Ability to use a fax machine, photocopier, computer, multi-line telephone, folding machine, and shredder.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, using the English language with or without the use of an interpreter.
• Ability to demonstrate essential job functions outlined above.
• Ability to work cooperatively with and contribute to a diverse workplace through ideas or experience.

Minimum Requirements:

• Associates degree or completion of equivalent college-level coursework.

• Two years experience in a high volume, service-oriented environment using multi-phone lines and providing customer service.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree.
• Experience with Ellucian Banner software.
• Experience working in community colleges, school districts, or public entities.

To apply, visit https://jobs.cocc.edu/postings/11514

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