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Student Financial Services Specialist

Employer
Susquehanna University
Location
Selinsgrove, PA

Job Details

Position Title:

Student Financial Services Specialist

Position Approval Date:

09/09/2024

Is this position an essential position?:

No

About Susquehanna:

Susquehanna University is the future-ready institution for today, invested in cultivating intellectual grounding, active learning and global citizenship for all students. Renowned as one of the finest U.S. national liberal arts colleges, Susquehanna inspires and challenges 2,200 enterprising, bright-minded students studying the arts, business, humanities and sciences. Our students seize opportunities through exceptional worldwide internships, expert-guided research and an acclaimed study-abroad program, leading to a transformative education that empowers each graduate to realize their unique potential and lead a successful and meaningful life.

The Susquehanna River Valley with its fresh air and overall pleasant year-round climate, provides four distinct seasons amidst a backdrop of vibrant autumn foliage, occasional winter snowfalls, flower-filled springs and warm summer evenings illuminated by fireflies. Nearby outdoor recreational areas for hiking, kayaking, fishing and skiing — and the bustling cultural and commerce hubs of New York City, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia within a three-hour drive — present abundant opportunities for learning and discovery.

Position Summary:

Job SummaryReporting to the Senior Director of Student Financial Services (SFS), the Specialist is a dynamic, entry-level role charged with coordinating and organizing assigned SFS projects; analyzing problems and determining the appropriate course of action using discretion and initiative based on statute, regulations, institutional policy, and procedures. The SFS Specialist provides student accounts and financial aid services to students, families, and the community at Susquehanna University. This position is defined as a non-exempt position under FLSA regulations.
Specific Responsibilities

  • Maintain Accurate Student Accounts & Provide Excellent Student Service
    • Process daily cash receipts accurately and perform timely income reconciliation.
    • Perform student account quality assurance reviews and resolve reconciliation errors with campus partners.
    • Coordinate registration for past due, current and future term payment plans available through Nelnet Campus Commerce.
    • Perform delinquent payment outreach to students as necessary.
    • Create monthly invoices for current students and work with other university offices to prepare invoice information for students (i.e., Hawk Hub, Admissions, Finance, Academics, Student Life, Residence Life, Athletics).
    • Counsel and assist students and parents on the payment options and process – understanding their enrollment charges.
    • Issue available funds to students due to a credit balance on their account in the form of a refund.
    • Enter miscellaneous transactions into student accounts including (but not limited to) fines, fees, and housing.
  • Maintain Complete & Accurate Financial Aid Records that Enhance the Student Experience
    • Develop an understanding of the financial aid process to advise all students and families on financial aid processes, eligibility, and funding options.
    • Assist students and families with creating unique financial plans that allow them to begin the academic year with no outstanding charges due.
    • Explaining financial aid sources and processes to deliver information to prospective and current students virtually or in-person.
    • Coordinates and organizes assigned projects; analyzes problems and determines the appropriate course of action using discretion and initiative based on guidelines and procedures.
  • Ensure Compliance with Federal, State, and University Regulations
    • Monitor students’ eligibility for financial aid funds.
    • Attend federal, state, and professional financial aid and student billing information and training conferences.
    • Keep current on federal and state financial aid programs, including interpretation, implementation, and compliance regulations, procedures, and eligibility requirements.
    • Develop consumer information and provide to students as required by federal regulation or university requests.
    • Interact with auditors and provide information and answer questions for annual audit where applicable

Why Join Susquehanna University?
You’ll be part of a vibrant, supportive community dedicated to student success. This role offers a unique opportunity to grow your skills in financial services, collaborate with campus partners, and make a real difference in the lives of students.

Apply Today!
If you’re passionate about helping students navigate their financial journey and eager to start or grow your career in higher education, apply today to become an essential part of the Susquehanna University Student Financial Services team!

Required Qualifications:

Education and ExperienceHigh school diploma is required. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Six months of work experience in higher education, banking, financial services, project management, customer service, or operations is required, twelve months preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
The person in this position should possess the knowledge of federal and state regulations pertaining to student account management and the delivery of financial aid funds for higher education institutions; knowledge of and ability to fully use technological resources including a wide variety of computer programs and applications (including but not restricted to word processing, spreadsheets, and databases). This person must be skilled in math and accounting procedures to reconcile student and financial aid accounts’ skilled and experienced in student services to provide consumers with an excellent student experience. This person must have the ability to communicate in verbal and written form to ensure shared understanding of information, manage multiple tasks and deadlines, and navigate sensitive financial & personal situations of students/parents.
Physical DemandThe role requires prolonged periods of sitting, extended periods working at a desk. Frequent use of a computer, phone, and other office equipment is necessary. The ability to type efficiently. Verbal communication that includes regular speaking engagements with students and parents in-person, over the phone, and virtually. Exposure to repetitive motion of the fingers, hands, and wrists on a daily basis will occur. May involve light lifting up to 10 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree preferred. Twelve months of work experience experience in higher education, banking, financial services, project management, customer service, or operations is preferred.

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Number of Months:

12 months

Status:

Full-Time Benefits Eligible

Posting Date:

09/10/2024

Closing Date:

10/10/2024

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full Time

Open Until Filled:

No

Posting Number:

AH01290

Organization

Susquehanna University is a national liberal arts college committed to excellence in educating undergraduate students for productive, creative and reflective lives of achievement, leadership and service in a diverse and interconnected world. Academic excellence, study away and service learning, student-faculty collaboration, and rich opportunities for creative and personal growth are hallmarks of a Susquehanna University education. About 2,200 undergraduates come from 32 states and 15 countries.

The university is located in Selinsgrove, Pa., a town of about 5,000 situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River, 50 miles north of the state capital, Harrisburg. The campus is about 90 minutes from the Pocono Mountain recreational areas, and about a three-hour drive from New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1858 by Lutherans, Susquehanna University welcomes individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs. It is a community that expresses its Lutheran heritage through the free and open exploration of ideas, commitment to service and development of individual talents.

Students may enroll in one of two schools: the School of Arts and Sciences or the Sigmund Weis School of Business. A Susquehanna education is distinguished by a strong liberal arts program enhanced by equally strong professional programs in areas such as business, education and communications. Degrees are offered for the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Science.

Susquehanna University is recognized in several guidebooks to selective colleges, including The Fiske Guide to Colleges and Peterson's Competitive Colleges. U.S. News & World Report’s America's Best Colleges includes Susquehanna among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Susquehanna is small enough to be academically flexible, yet large enough to offer a wide variety of choices—more than 50 major emphases, 45 minors and 850 courses. Susquehanna offers a challenging Honors Program for exceptional students and emphasizes experience-based learning, including internships, study-abroad semesters and award-winning community service programs.

Small classes and a student-faculty ratio of about 13 to 1 offer students personal attention and challenging opportunities. Student participation and team learning are encouraged, as is faculty-student research that exposes students to current, practical applications in their field of study. Students are offered extensive opportunities for involvement and leadership in university life. They can choose from more than 100 student organizations, 23 intercollegiate sports, numerous intramural and club sports and a full schedule of lectures, concerts, films, plays and social events.

Susquehanna's strong academic and career advising programs have led to strong post-graduation success. Typically, 94 percent of the graduating class is working full time or enrolled in graduate or professional school within six months.

Diversity Profile: Susquehanna University

Diversity Matters at Susquehanna. Through our commitment to academic excellence, in which diversity is a core element, we affirm the dignity and worth of all persons and strive to ensure that all in our community feel supported in their differences. Current and emerging research underscore the positive educational benefits that manifest in a diverse living and learning community.

As an institution of higher learning, we understand that we will be judged increasingly by how well we prepare our students to succeed in a smaller, flatter and increasingly diverse world. We intentionally seek to create opportunities for understanding the ways that power and privilege influence individual and collective behavior and systems, and to use that knowledge to guide us productively inside the classroom and beyond.

Affirmative Action - Susquehanna University is committed to making every effort to enhance the diversity of our community – students, faculty, and staff. The hiring process is important to achieving our strategic goals to recruit and retain staff from diverse backgrounds. Through the affirmative action process, we work together to ensure a diverse community while remaining diligent in our commitment to selecting the most qualified candidate for open positions.

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Diversity Matters at Susquehanna. Through our commitment to academic excellence, in which diversity is a core element, we affirm the dignity and worth of all persons and strive to ensure that all in our community feel supported in their differences. Current and emerging research underscore the positive educational benefits that manifest in a diverse living and learning community.

As an institution of higher learning, we understand that we will be judged increasingly by how well we prepare our students to succeed in a smaller, flatter and increasingly diverse world. We intentionally seek to create opportunities for understanding the ways that power and privilege influence individual and collective behavior and systems, and to use that knowledge to guide us productively inside the classroom and beyond.

In the classroom, on the campus and beyond

We use experiential learning to engage students in a multicultural education that prepares them for life in a diverse and interconnected world. Our new Central Curriculum, taught by a diverse faculty with different viewpoints and experiences, challenges students in their ways of perceiving and knowing the world. The unique Global Opportunities (GO) requirement prompts students to experience ways of knowing and being that are unfamiliar, and to reflect on those experiences. In the process, we expect that all students will examine their world view and how it is constructed.

A diverse and vibrant campus community fosters relationships marked by mutual curiosity and respect. Students, faculty and staff are supported in these relationships by the Chief Diversity Officer, Center for Diversity and Social Justice, Center for Civic Engagement, Office of Residence Life, and the Bias Response and Education Team.

The university also understands its physical and emotional connection to residents of the Susquehanna River Valley. Arts and educational events open to the community create possibilities for healthy dialogue regarding difference. Relationships built through interaction and dialogue with the greater Selinsgrove community serve to broaden and enhance the community in which we live and learn.

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