Specialist - Financial Aid

Department: Office of Recruitment and Outreach

General Statement of Job

The Financial Aid Specialist assists the Director of Promise Program and Enrollment Management and the coordinator in the overall administration of local, state and Title IV financial aid programs.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Assists the director and coordinator in the overall administration of local, state, and Title IV financial aid programs.
• Informs groups and individuals of financial aid services.
• Oversees the student verification and award packaging process.
• Submits initial, renewal and correction applications through the Department of Education's websites.
• Assists students and parents with financial aid programs.
• Handles all information in a confidential and sensitive manner.
• Assists students with their FAFSA transmittal.
• Reviews student schedules and degree plans.
• Monitors subjects pursued by students to certify classes that only apply to their program of study.
• Ensures that students are not on academic suspension. Responds to inquiries from students and team members.
• Maintains familiarity with the College's policies, procedures, and academic standards.
• Keeps abreast of changes to regulations and requirements of financial aid programs.
• Travels throughout the college district, as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least one (1) year of customer service experience, preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, the Windows environment, and internet research skills.
• Knowledge of local, state and Title IV financial aid programs.
• Understanding and working knowledge of regulations and requirements of financial aid programs.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and complete multiple tasks with attention to detail, within stated deadlines.
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player within department and with others.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends as needed; willing to travel throughout the college district using own means of reliable transportation.
• Demonstrated commitment to achieving the vision and mission of South Texas College.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of students, parents, managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to apply practical understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Checks, Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

• Security Sensitive position: all applicants are subject to a criminal background check under South Texas College policy.
• In addition, subject to a federal background check.
• Must have or qualify for a valid Texas driver's license and proof of liability insurance.

Physical Requirements

• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
• Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Mobility to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.