Financial Aid & Special Programs Coordinator

Working Title

Financial Aid & Special Programs Coordinator

Position Number

FA430

FLSA

Exempt

Appointment Type

Full Time

Sensitive Position

No

Sensitive Position Statement

A sensitive position requires a fingerprint-based criminal history check. This is NOT a sensitive position.

Campus Security Authority

No

Campus Security Authority Statement

This position is NOT designated as a Campus Security Authority. A Campus Security Authority (or CSA) is defined as an “official of the institution with significant responsibility for student and campus activities.” A CSA is required to immediately report any crime that is reported to them to the University Police who will then review, evaluate, and investigate the reported crime. Annual training is required by the Department of Education for all personnel who have been designated as a Campus Security Authority.

Designated Personnel

Yes

Designated Personnel Statement

A “designated position” means this position could potentially be required to work (depending on the event) during an emergency closing. This is NOT a “designated position.”

Statement of Economic Interest

No

Statement of Economic Interest Statement

This position does NOT require a Statement of Personal Economic Interest.

Restricted Position

No

Restricted Position Statement

A restricted position would be subject to availability of funding. This is NOT a restricted positon.

Chief Objective of Position

The Financial Aid and Special Programs Coordinator is responsible for managing the packaging, certification, invoicing, and eligibility monitoring for various internal and external specialized aid programs, as well as managing the Return of Title IV processing requirements for the Office of Financial Aid.

Work Tasks

This position is responsible for supporting the office by counseling and advising financial aid applicants, their parents, and the general public about financial aid and its availability as well as processing verification, aid packaging and revised packages on an as-needed basis.

This position develops, negotiates, and finalizes student financial plans consistent with financial planning policies and procedures and with Federal/State regulations for awarding aid. The Financial Aid and Special Programs Coordinator may be assigned additional duties in support of the department’s mission and goals.

Quality Assurance, Federal Verification and Revised Packaging:
•Performs QA reviews on student verification records of federally and institutionally selected students and ensures the appropriate tax documents and schedules have been collected and reviewed and scanned for auditing purposes.
•Sustains knowledge of Title IV and State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Legislation and U.S. Code that relate to the student financial assistance programs for higher education.
•Maintains complex data review/input/retrieval systems for processing and awarding throughout the year.
•Receives and properly inputs a variety of financial aid documents; prior to input, reviews all documents for accuracy and ensures adherence to federal, state and university regulations regarding Federal verification, Selective Service compliance, default clearance, Social Security verifications, etc.
•Processes student correction records in Banner for transmission to CPS.
•Recalculates eligibility and makes appropriate adjustments to the student record, award, and/ or disbursement, and when necessary, communicates change(s) to the Federal or state government.
•Monitors and reviews external aid sources and waivers to ensure that all resources are appropriately accounted for on the student record and calculated as part of the student’s eligibility.
•Ensures that budgets are accurate, awards are revised as needed, and that over-awards are resolved through recalculations and re-awarding.
•Performs a series of quality assurance reviews, including federal verification files, to ensure financial awards are in compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations and guidelines.
•Ensures students are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to Federal and state regulations; ensures that students on SAP Appeal are meeting the conditions of their appeal in order to maintain eligibility.
•Serves as back up for completion of federal verification reviews and other manual review processes for an assigned caseload of students.

Withdrawal and Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds Processing:
•Evaluates federal, state, and/or institutional requirements for evaluating student withdrawals against institutional policies and practices – and assessing needs and recommending changes to ensure continued compliance.
•Develop the Return of Title IV calendar for the Director to track the start date, end date, break days and 60% date of each semester before processing calculations and ensure all of the dates are accurate in the relevant Registrar and Financial Aid Banner forms.
•Continually monitors official student withdrawals for the term, recalculates student eligibility and processes return of funds, when applicable.
•Monitors unofficial withdrawals and unsatisfactory grades at the close of each term, recalculates student eligibility, and processes return of funds, when applicable.
•Coordinates overall withdrawal processing (throughout the semester and at end-of-term) to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
•Processes return calculations within Banner and coordinates with the appropriate staff/departments to ensure funds are returned to the appropriate funding sources within the required timeframe; ensures exit counseling notices are sent to students and disbursement adjustments are accurate.
•Serves as a subject-matter expert on withdrawal processing regulations and the application of said regulations to University policy, which may include staff training.

Needs Analysis and Awarding:
•Determines the eligibility of applicants for federal, state, and university financial aid funds in line with the statutory authority for the system of analysis used to calculate financial need; this includes, but is not limited to, formulating cost of attendance budgets, calculating expected family contribution (EFC) using federal methodology formulas, and exercising professional judgment authority; it further includes appropriate follow-up where deemed necessary to clarify discrepancies in the data and/or award.
•Evaluating procedures requires a thorough knowledge of federal, state, and university policies and regulations, complex need analysis methodologies and general IRS tax policies for analysis of federal tax return data; in addition, the individual is required to maintain a consistent work pace to ensure assigned evaluations are reviewed in a timely manner.
•Determines the type and scope of student financial aid packages to include all or some federal, state, university or outside need-based and/or non-need based assistance; award review requires an understanding of award packaging policies and relevant program regulations, administered by the federal Department of Education, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and other internal and external agencies; this includes award design for students involved in special program areas, such as the Study Abroad Program, the Bonner Scholars Program, the President’s Leadership Program, the Honors Program, and other unique populations; it also requires an ability to ensure both the accuracy and timeliness of awards; ensures that student resources and external aid funds are appropriately reported and that students are awarded within the appropriate budget.

Administer and Manage Special Financial Aid Programs:
•Responsible for the administration and management of approximately $2M in special student aid programs. Special programs include, but are not limited to: Virginia Military Survivors & Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP), College Transfer Grant (CTG) Program, DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) and other out-of-state/external aid programs, Virginia Teaching Scholarship, Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Department of Blind and Vision Impaired, Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitation Services and institutional tuition waivers for graduate students and Resident Assistant (RA) waivers.
•Liaise with State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), Virginia Department of Veterans Services, CNU Business Office and other internal and external agencies to assure that recipients of special program funding have been processed accurately.
•Reviews new regulations and processing information related to special aid programs to ensure that funds are managed correctly.
•Submits certification rosters as required for various programs to verify student eligibility conditions have been met.
•Monitor disbursements and receipt of funding by performing monthly and annual reconciliation of programs.
•Provides updates to financial aid staff on regulatory or policy changes and timelines for special programs, to ensure all staff can accurately advise students.

Outreach and Customer Service:
•Demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills; represents the Financial Aid Office at Open Houses, Admitted Freshman Day, etc. events on an annual basis.
•Serves as liaison with other university offices such as Admission, Registrar, Student Accounts, etc.; performs various outreach initiatives and programs such as College Fairs, High School Nights, Super FAFSA Workshops, etc. to include public speaking, panel discussions, and question/answer sessions; provides information regarding all of the procedures and requirements of a financial aid program and the application process.
•Must be capable of making an accurate assessment and evaluation of a person’s application status and financial need determination and effectively communicating this information while meeting the privacy guidelines within FERPA regulations.
•A variety of student circumstances may present themselves, be sure to respond and communicate effectively while multi-tasking between processing tasks.
•Develops and maintains very positive and professional customer service and/or relations within the office/department and with all constituencies to include students, faculty, staff, guests, and employees.
•Demonstrates a positive and professional attitude and treats everyone with dignity and respect. Fully supports the “Student’s First” value at CNU and routinely goes the extra mile in providing service.
•Safety issues are reviewed and communicated to assure a safe and healthy workplace and a reduction in work related absences.

This position is designated as a “responsible employee” who has the authority to redress sexual violence, who has the duty to report incidents of sexual violence or other student misconduct, or who a student could reasonably believe has this authority or duty.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA's) required

Strong attention to detail; Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with a wide range of people, especially students and parents, and counsel effectively; Strong interpersonal skills; Superior organizational and problem resolution skills; Excellent customer service skills; Working knowledge of student information systems/relational databases/enterprise systems; Ability to read, comprehend and comply with very complex federal and state laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to the provision of student financial aid; Interact effectively as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments; Ability to listen to customers (e.g. students, staff, etc.) and to understand and respond positively to their requests; Work without close supervision and to set one’s own priorities; Perform complex calculations, projections, and estimates with regard to budgets and funding; Ability to make small group presentations as well as skill in interacting on a one-on-one basis; Prioritize, multi-task and follow-up; Maintain accuracy and attention to detail when completing work assignments; Ability to work independently and make decisions based on complex guidelines.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA's) preferred

Fluency in using standard office software packages. Demonstrated ability to address the essential functions associated with this position-including knowledge of COD, FSA, ELM, and other FA websites. Technical fluency with Banner or equivalent information system; Microsoft Office Professional Suite, and Google mail and calendaring programs. The ability to deal with difficult situations and diffuse customer conflict.

Required Education

Master’s degree in a related field; or Bachelor’s degree plus demonstrated, directly related work experiences that equates to an advanced degree.

Preferred Education

Experience Required

Experience in higher education (working with confidential records) in a financial aid setting, student financial services setting, or in another relevant area of student services. Experience with student information systems, relational databases, or enterprise systems.

Experience Preferred

Experience in interpreting federal and state financial aid rules and regulations. Experience in managing and administering financial aid programs in a higher education environment. Experience in processing financial aid requests and eligibility determination. Financial Aid compliance experience. Experience in working under the guidance of Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) rules and regulations when handling education records.
Experience in completing federal verification reviews, and/or experience reviewing verification documents for completion and suitability to meet requirements. Experience in an environment with responsibility for the management of fiscal programs. Familiarity with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s financial aid programs.

CNU Information

Selected by The Princeton Review for The 386 Best Colleges: 2021 Edition, and highly ranked for its quality of life and innovative leadership, Christopher Newport University is a public school offering a private school experience — great teaching, small classes, and a safe, vibrant campus. A “student-first, teaching-first” community, Christopher Newport is dedicated to the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. The University is located between Williamsburg and the Virginia beaches in Newport News, and enrolls 5,100 students. Academic programs encompass more than 90 areas of study, from biology to business administration and political science to the performing arts. The University has a new and technologically advanced campus, has generated over 7,300 applications for a freshmen class of 1,155 and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges guide as fourth among public regional universities in the South and seventh among all regional universities in the South. In addition, Christopher Newport is ranked third among all public schools for having "the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students.” Christopher Newport is committed to ensuring that all people are welcomed, honored and fully engaged in the life of our academic community. We seek exceptional and diverse candidates and encourage applications from individuals who are underrepresented in their profession. For further details and information about Christopher Newport, visit http://www.cnu.edu.

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number

AP132P

Number of Vacancies

1

Posting Date

02/19/2021

Application Deadline

03/15/2021

Application Instructions

Interested parties are requested to submit a cover letter; current resume; and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three professional references at the time of application. Review of applications will begin March 15, 2021. Applications received after March 15, 2021 will be accepted but considered only if needed. Search finalists are required to complete a CNU sponsored background check.

Quick Link for Internal Postings

https://jobs.cnu.edu/postings/10583

EEO Statement

Christopher Newport University, an EO Employer, is fully Committed to Access and Opportunity.
Notice of Non-Discrimination & Title IX Policy Statement: