Job Title: Financial Aid Coordinator (Grad & Verification), Financial Aid, 28854
Location: UMKC Volker Campus
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Job ID: 38614
Hiring Department

Office of Financial Aid

Job Description

The Financial Aid Coordinator oversees complex financial aid programs and ensures compliance in each program. The Coordinator advises and counsels students applying for financial aid and determines initial and continued eligibility for assistance. This position analyzes, processes, awards, and revises financial aid packages for students including all financial aid programs administered by UMKC. Additionally, this position oversees the federal verification process and ensures compliance with federal regulations regarding verification processing.

Characteristic Duties

• Awards and administers federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs on behalf of a specific group of student applicants through the financial aid packaging process. Determines the amount of aid based on eligibility criteria for each award program, need of students, and funds available. This coordinator works primarily with graduate students but is expected to assist all student populations as needed.
• Requests, collects, and reviews financial aid documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with federal and state financial aid policies to determine student’s actual needs and financial aid awards.
• Completes the verification process and compares data on FAFSA applications with federal tax returns, academic transcripts, and eligibility criteria for multiple award programs, making corrections to student applications as needed.
• Provides financial aid counseling to prospective, new, and returning students regarding financial aid availability, application process, eligibility, academic progress, degree requirements, deadlines, processing dates, and procedures.
• Provides students with counseling on available financial aid based upon changes to their academic program, enrollment, and eligibility criteria.
• Determines which students are eligible for special consideration of awards through professional judgment and override situations and explains documentation and regulatory requirements to students and parents as needed.
• Conducts presentations to campus and regional community partners at scheduled events, including area high-school Financial Aid Nights. Presentation information includes completing the FAFSA, the financial aid awarding process, financial literacy, and required procedures regarding financial aid eligibility.
• Reviews eligibility for students not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. Counsels students about academic progress and its effect on financial aid eligibility.
• Maintains and reviews student award packages for compliance and prevention of over-awards. Revises student financial aid packages as needed when additional aid awards are posted.
• Assists and counsels students with consortium agreements, study abroad, and alternative loan processes to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Monitors compliance of regulatory guidelines and new regulations as appropriate. Is responsible for staying up to date on all changes to the federal verification process and informs Leadership of necessary adjustments to policy or procedure.
Serves as the lead expert regarding financial aid verification, including reviewing eligibility information, determining conflicting information, addressing complex finance issues, and processing verification compliance reports.
• Performs quality assurance checks for all verifications processed.
• Manages all institutional verification processes, including verifying student dependency statuses based on information submitted on the FAFSA. Is expected to be knowledgeable on applicable situations and the regulations that apply to them.
• Assists with processing and trouble-shooting Direct Graduate PLUS Loans, including resolving pending credit checks, endorser issues, and notifications.
Serve as a member of the Operations and Compliance team, handling various assigned reports and processes around operations and compliance.
• Maintain complete and accurate records as required for completion of internal and external reporting requirements.
• Contributes to broad-based management of Financial Aid Office by providing input to office policy and procedure decisions.
• Works with other campus departments to ensure smooth delivery of services.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Possesses both a broad and deep understanding of the job.
• Has full proficiency gained through knowledge and/or experience.

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 2 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated knowledge of federal financial aid regulations preferred. Experience in handling multiple tasks and a customer service orientation with a commitment to higher education and working with students a plus. NASFAA Credentialing is a plus.

Full Time/Part Time

Full-time, benefits eligible

Salary

$16.92 - 17.80/hr

Application Deadline

Open until filled.

Application Instructions

Applicants must combine all application materials (cover letter, resume, and list of five references with contact information) into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment.

Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.).

If you are experiencing technical problems, please call (800) 488-5288.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or the recruiting rights of military organizations associated with the Armed Forces or the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America. For more information, call the Vice Chancellor - Human Resources at 816-235-1621.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the duties and functions of this job. If you believe you may have difficulty performing any of the duties or functions of this job, please contact the Office of Affirmative Action at (816) 235-1323.

EEO IS THE LAW

To read more about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) please use the following links:

• EEO is the Law English Version
• EEO is the Law Spanish Version
• EEO is the Law Chinese Version

UMKC Statement on Diversity

UMKC values diversity as central to its mission as an urban-serving research university and as a driver of excellence in teaching and learning. UMKC embraces a broad spectrum of diversities, including race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, linguistic ability, learning style, religion, socioeconomic and veteran status, life experiences, educational level and family structure. For more information on our diversity mission, visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website: http://info.umkc.edu/diversity/

UMKC is the largest comprehensive, fully accredited university in the Kansas City area. Our students come from all 50 states and over 85 countries, enriching our community with diverse perspectives. With more than 125 academic areas, our students have a lot of opportunities to explore on their way to discovering and creating their perfect career. We are at the heart of a thriving urban area where the city’s life and energy influence everything that happens here. We are Kansas City’s university and we can’t wait for you to join us! Find out more about UMKC in the About UMKC section of our website.

Details about UMKC’s community and the benefits of being an employee can be found on our careers page.