Verification Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor

Job Summary

The Verification Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor performs functions under the general supervision of the Assistant Director of Financial Aid Counseling in the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, but works independently to provide a variety of coordinating and advising services in support of Financial Aid Counseling, the Financial Aid application process and awarding cycles. The incumbent performs functions related to the document verification and federal needs analysis for the purpose of reaching a financial aid award determination. The position is responsible for maintaining a high level of knowledge regarding Financial Aid programs that attracts, retains, and enrolls academically qualified, culturally diverse, and socially conscious populations of undergraduate and graduate students. This position maintains a high level of expertise in Financial Aid requirements, processes, and regulations to facilitate quality customer service and financial aid advising in supporting students’ decision to apply and attend SJSU. The Verification Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor will develop and maintain accurate and transparent financial aid documentation and work flow in order to maintain levels of productivity, quality of financial aid counseling for prospective and continuing students.

Key Responsibilities

• Administers and coordinates verification and needs analysis to determine documented financial need of students using the financial aid delivery system and the PeopleSoft needs analysis module. Reviews and verifies various documents that may be requested, including verification forms such as tax returns to complete the verification process.
• Reviews accuracy of all documents submitted by the student to determine the student’s eligibility under the various federal and state regulations such as citizenship status, loan history, grant overpayment, social security number accuracy, and veterans benefits, as it relates to determining financial aid eligibility.
• Performs necessary recalculation of students’ financial aid eligibility, as required by the confirmation or processing of professional judgment cases.
• Assists students at the front counter answering questions during drop-in hour and provides phone coverage. Responsible for explaining to students and parents the various documents that may be requested for the application process, including verification forms, tax returns, etc.
• Reviews and verifies that appropriate documents have been submitted by the student to determine the student’s admission eligibility under the various Chancellor’s Office and campus regulations and procedures.
• Investigates complaints and questions from students who raise concerns about their progress in the Financial Aid application or process to a point of resolution.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service and public relations skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive communications with students, parents, employees and external agencies.
• Ability to identify conflict, problem solve, and resolve student problems and concerns in the most efficient manner possible.
• Ability to reason logically; ability to collect, compile, analyze, and evaluate data and make verbal or written presentations based on these data.
• Ability to carry out very complex assignments without detailed instructions.
• Ability to advise students individually or in groups on varied and complex matters.
• Ability to analyze and define complex organizational, policy or procedural problems, collect and evaluate data, draw valid conclusions and project consequences of various alternative courses of action.
• Ability to compose and appropriately format correspondence and statistical data reports.
• Knowledge of software applications and financial aid programs: word processing, spreadsheet, database management.
• Ability to train others on new skills and procedures and provide work lead direction.
• Ability to perform accurately in a detail-oriented environment.
• Ability to plan and execute multiple work priorities, organize and plan work and projects.

Required Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field, including or supplemented by upper division or graduate coursework in counseling techniques, interviewing, and conflict resolution where such are job-related
• Three years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience. A master’s degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related field may be substituted for one year of experience. A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling or guidance may be substituted for the three years of experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional career or personal counseling.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5 years of in-house financial aid verification experience collecting necessary documents, making corrections, and determining student's awards
• 2 years of experience providing work lead direction to staff/students to determine work assignments
• 2 years of student counseling experience relaying information to students and families on their financial aid eligibility
• 2 years of experience with online document retrieval system (Onbase) and creating/implementing workflow processes

Compensation

Classification: Student Services Professional III
Anticipated Salary: $4,691/month
Hiring Range: $4,691/month - $6,683/month

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary .

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

All applicants must apply within the specified application period: October 29, 2020 through November 15, 2020 . This position is open until filled; however, applications received after screening has begun will be considered at the discretion of the university.



Contact Information

University Personnel
jobs@sjsu.edu
408-924-2252

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University (SJSU) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all SJSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus).

Advertised: October 29, 2020 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: