Administrative Assistant I / Financial Aid Office


About Westfield State University:

In 1839, Horace Mann founded Westfield State University as the first public higher education institution without barrier to race, gender or economic class. Westfield State University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination, equal opportunity, diversity and affirmative action. We are dedicated to providing educational, working and living environments that value the diverse backgrounds of all people including minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities and other protected persons, or individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Westfield State is the most residential of the state universities in Massachusetts, with over 60% of our 5600 full-time undergraduate students living on campus. The campus is ideally situated on the edge of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts just 30 minutes from the thriving cultural centers of Northampton and Amherst, and 1.5 hours from both Boston and Albany.

Westfield State University is committed to anti-racist pedagogy and practices that guide our universities' fundamental beliefs in critical engagement with diversity, social justice, community building, scholarly inquiry, and critical reflective practice. Persons of color and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.


Job Description:

Campus Title: Administrative Assistant I / Financial Aid Office
State Job Title: Administrative Assistant I/ Financial Aid Office
Department: Financial Aid
Job Code: H15X01
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Funding: 7115-0100
Bargaining Unit: AFSCME
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Timeframe: 52 Weeks
Shift: Monday -Friday 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Regular Days Off: Saturday and Sunday
Supervision Received: Receives general supervision from the Associate Director of Financial Aid

Supervision Exercised: Work Study Student
Salary: $1,820.73 Bi-Weekly

General Statement of Duties:
Provides administrative support to the Director of Financial Aid, Associate Director of Financial Aid, Assistant Director of Financial Aid as well as three additional financial aid professional staff in the daily management of financial aid. Provides counseling and advice for students and parents seeking financial assistance
Duties and Responsibilities:
Duties include but not limited to:

• Provide excellent customer service to students and parents, on phone and in person.
• Assist with front desk and office coverage to provide student services and problem resolution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the financial aid phone line.
• Manage the Financial Aid department's email account.
• Coordinate the ordering of office supplies and materials needed for all office operations.
• Update all office forms and letters annually.
• Generate correspondence to students by integrating data from the Financial Aid database of SCT Banner with Microsoft Word. Coordinate all outgoing mass mailings as well as send revised award letters to students.
• Track and organize documents for Verification Processing. Notify all students who have been selected for Verification by the U.S. Department of Education. Generate letters requesting missing documents such as Federal Tax Returns and Verification Worksheets. Coordinate all incoming documents ready to be reviewed for verification.
• Monitor ISIR transactions for students selected for verification to ensure they are complete and ready for review.
• Complete verification forms for several departments, including Financial Aid Release Form, TRiO, Sibling Enrollment forms, Education Income and Expense Forms, and Secondary Confirmation Verification Form
• Assess Federal Database match flags from students' Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Verify citizenship, social security numbers, alien registration, and other items related to federal C-flags.
• Track and organize documents for the Federal Work Study program. Notify supervisors of students' authorization to work.
• Preparation and maintenance of all Financial Aid student files, including new, current, withdrawn and graduated students.
• Sort, distribute and process incoming mail.
• Coordinate and oversee Exit Counseling Requirements.
• Adjust Department of Continuing Education student budgets based on students' Intent to Enroll forms.
• Assist professional staff with disbursements of various financial aid funds, tracking of categorical tuition waivers, and outside scholarships.
• Supervise Federal Work Study students and maintain Federal Work Study student records.
• Assist in other projects as assigned by the Director of Financial Aid, Associate Director of Financial Aid, or Assistant Director of Financial Aid.

Requirements:

Qualifications Required at Hire:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of office management.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with others.
• Ability to deal tactfully with others.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.
• Ability to prepare general reports.
• Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of data, to draw conclusions and to make appropriate recommendations.
• Ability to be attentive to detail and perform work with high level of accuracy.
• Ability to write concisely, to express thoughts clearly and to develop ideas in logical sequence.

Qualifications Acquired on Job:

Thorough knowledge of departmental, university and state rules, regulations, policies and procedures needed to fill out verification documents for various agencies and to assess Federal Database match flags from the FAFSA; knowledge of and ability to use computer applications; thorough understanding of financial aid programs. Knowledge and ability to adjust awards when adding Outside Scholarship and Categorical Tuition Waiver funds. Responsible for the design, creation and generation of all correspondence to students and familiarity with various software packages. Thorough knowledge of financial aid policies and procedures.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

Applicants must have at least 2 years of full-time or equivalent part-time experience in office management or any equivalent combination of the experience and the substitutions as listed in the state specifications.

License and/or Certification Requirements:

None


Additional Information:

Salary:
For the majority of new employees, the minimum starting salary will apply. Specific salary for current Westfield State University employees and individuals currently working for the state of Massachusetts must be calculated individually in accordance with collective bargaining and state policies and procedures.

State job specifications for this position may be found at the department of higher education website: http://www.mass.edu/foremployees/classificationspecs/classspecs-pers.asp

Disability Accommodations:
Westfield State University understands that persons with disabilities may need assistance with the job application process and/or with the interview process. For confidential assistance regarding disability accommodations, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (413) 572-8106.

Background Check:
Employment at Westfield State University is contingent upon a background check that is satisfactory to the University. Failure to provide written authorization for a background check will nullify the offer of employment.


Application Instructions:

An online application is required. A resume and cover letter may be attached but this is not required.

Deadline: Review of applications will begin (posting date here). The job posting will be open a minimum of ten days and, if needed, will remain open until finalist have been selected.

NOTE: If you need assistance completing your application please contact our online Help Desk. The link to the help desk can be found at the top of the page via Contact Us.



To apply, visit https://westfield.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=164760&CNTRNO=10&TSTMP=0





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