Financial Aid Counselor

Financial Aid Counselor
Whitman College

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla, Whitman's beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually dynamic, diverse, and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty and 1,500 students. With an endowment exceeding $500 million, fiercely loyal alumni, exceptional students, and accomplished faculty and staff, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence ranking as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Financial Aid Counselor serves as the primary contact for the Office of Financial Aid Services that works with the Financial Aid staff in coordinating the functions of the office.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Answers the main phone line for the office and responds to questions or directs the caller to the appropriate person.
2. Greets visitors, parents and students and answers questions when possible.
3. Assists the Financial Aid staff with general office duties, including but not limited to typing, data entry, and filing.
4. Opens, processes, and distributes the mail.
5. Keeps track of supplies and re-orders when needed.
6. Keeps office budget current and processes bills for payment.
7. Imports College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data.
8. Tracks forms necessary for student files.
9. Stays current with all state and federal regulations.
10. Performs verification of data for federal aid. Requests data when necessary to complete verification. Makes necessary changes to federal aid resulting from verified data.
11. Receipts outside scholarships and enters them into the database, checking to make sure the student is not over-awarded.
12. Provides appropriate loan forms to applicants, checks for completeness; checks applicant eligibility and makes necessary adjustments to students' aid when needed.
13. Supports the Assistant Director of Financial Aid with loan processing and monthly reconciliation as needed.
14. Possesses a basic understanding of need analysis used in determining eligibility for financial aid.
15. Assists with state and federal programs as needed.
16. Maintains the Financial Aid website as necessary.
17. Completes other tasks as assigned by the Associate Director or Director.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Individuals must be able to explain and/or demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

1. Ability to work with a high degree of flexibility, accuracy and attention to detail.
2. Demonstrate excellent office and computer skills, including telephone and keyboard.
3. Demonstrate a high degree of computer literacy, including Word, Excel, Internet and databases.
4. Ability to work positively, pleasantly and well with the public and diverse constituencies under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
5. Ability to maintain confidentiality and work with sensitive information.
6. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
7. Ability to positively and actively contribute to the College's core values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Two year degree in relevant field or the equivalent experience
• Two years of data entry, computer-related experience, and working with the public

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree
• Financial Aid experience

APPLICATION REVIEW

Application review will begin on February 28 and will continue until the position is closed.

START DATE

April 1, 2021

For full application instructions and position description, visit https://whitman.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=41




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