Financial Aid Counselor 1

Reports To: Director of Financial Aid

Mission: Provide support to the daily operations of the Financial Aid Office. Provide expertise in the areas of specialization, accomplishing the work in those areas in a proficient and timely manner.

Primary Responsibilities:

Packaging Specialist and Financial Aid Counselor (70%) Engage with students regarding their eligibility for federal and institutional aid and the necessary application procedures. To receive and review student aid application material, using federal and institutional guidelines, assisting students in completion of application file and preparing each file for awarding and sending the official offer of financial aid.

• Take ownership of various student population(s) (primarily undergraduate), providing students and their families with individualized counseling in all aspects of the financial aid process, including verification, alternative financing, and responsible debt management.
• Provide regular outreach and follow-up to students on outstanding items such as incomplete or missing loan applications, financial aid forms, and other documents required for packaging.
• Determine financial aid eligibility of students based on institutional, state, and federal regulations; prepare detailed financial aid packages and award letters and certify student loan applications.
• Perform regular file reviews to ensure compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations; adjust student aid package funds based on changes to students’ enrollment statuses.
• Review all pertinent internal and external data and reports to ensure aid is being processed timely and accurately, including, but not limited to registration reports, ISIRs, and transfer credit evaluations.
• Provide Exit Counseling to graduating and withdrawn
• Exercise discretion and demonstrate strong professional judgment when making decisions in special or complex circumstances; seek assistance from the Director and, when appropriate, provide recommendations to best resolve these cases.
• Remain current on all institutional, state, and federal regulations and best practices; participate in regular training and professional development on best practices to ensure compliance.
• Participate in visit events such as Campus Previews, Registration Days and New Student Orientation preparing and presenting Financial Aid information to students and parents.

Secondary Packaging Specialist and Financial Aid Counselor Responsibilities

• Calculate R2T4s for withdrawn students and return funds as needed through COD; communicate with Student Accounts regarding funding adjustments.

Grant and Loan Processing (10%) Complete tasks related to State Grant/Scholarship, Federal Direct Loan, and Pell Grant programs.

• Provide counseling to loan applicants and maintain required
• Ensure students have completed all necessary steps to receive Stafford and PLUS
• Submit loan and grant certifications to secure and schedule loan and grant
• Check continued student eligibility before releasing
• Review loan eligibility and revise awards as needed for academic standing
• Coordinate the receipt of loan funds and subsequent disbursements with Student
• Troubleshoot loan software problems with COD, CPS and
• Work with other staff members to import/export loan certifications to COD for Direct Loan
• Process Parent PLUS applications and communicate results
• Certify and disburse private loans for students who request and are
• Maintain awareness of changes to federal loan protocols, cash management processing and interest rate
• Read Dear Colleague Letters, participate in content specific webinars, engage all levels of Secondary Grant and Loan Processing Responsibilities
• Certify and disburse Oregon Opportunity Grant funds, monitoring eligibility prior to award and
• Examine Satisfactory Academic Progress for all populations, notify students of status changes as needed, including year-end GPA evaluations for academic scholarship renewal eligibility.

Electronic File Processing (5%) Serve as secondary File Processing Specialist, ensuring all SAR and ISIR files are reviewed and processed in a timely manner according to all institutional, state, and federal regulations and best practices.

• Import and review all ISIRs daily, notifying appropriate personnel of pertinent changes to student
• Stay up to date on ISIR processing regulations and best practices, providing expert knowledge of the Department of Education ISIR Guide and EDE Technical Reference.

Scholarship Liaison (Less than 5%) Provide resources to new and continuing students regarding institutional and outside scholarship availability.

Communications Liaison (Less than 5%) Assist the department by managing all student communications and contingent office processes.

Outside Loan Coordinator (Less than 5%) Ensure coordination of funds between Multnomah University students and private lenders.

Qualifications:

Job-specific Requirements:

• Baccalaureate degree required, or 3 years related
• Prior experience working with PowerFAIDS
• Strong written communication skills required to provide concise and high-quality counseling to students
• Effective time management skills and the ability to self-direct and manage dynamic re-prioritization of tasks to best serve student needs.
• Ability to classify and analyze complex data, apply understanding to financial aid eligibility
• Willingness to study and develop understanding of federal regulations as they relate to financial aid in
• Develop working knowledge of federal tax regulations as they relate to financial
• Demonstrated initiative and mature work habits (including appropriate use of institutional time and resources for personal internet and phone usage per the Director’s discretion)
• Willingness to cross-train with other financial aid staff and function in a teamwork environment
• Cannot be in default on a federal student loan or in “owes repayment of a federal grant”
• Must be able to acquire and maintain access to all of Ed resource sites such as NSLDS, CPS and COD.

General Employment Requirements:

Because we believe that professionally qualified, committed Christian personnel are key to the operation of a truly Christian university, and that not only teachers, but all employees, by the pattern of their lives, serve as role models to our students, all employment positions at Multnomah contain the following relating to required personal qualities:

• Employees will have received Jesus Christ as his/her personal John 1:12
• Employees will be in basic agreement with the institution’s doctrinal
• Employees will believe the Bible is God’s Word and standard for faith and daily 2 Tim. 3:16-17
• Employees will be a Christian role model in attitude, speech and actions towards others. This includes being committed to God’s biblical standards for morality and sexual 1 Tim. 4:12, Luke 6:40, Col. 3:17, Titus 2:7- 8, 1 Thess. 2:10 and 5:22.
• Employees will be actively involved in a local

This is a full-time support staff position with benefits including medical options, dental, vision, life insurance and disability benefits, also paid holidays, vacation accrual and sick time

all beginning the first day of the month following one month of employment. A generous Employee Tuition Grant is available after 1 year of employment.

To Apply, find the application link here: www.Multnomah.edu/Careers

If you have questions regarding this position, please contact Deborah Rezene at DeborahRezene@multnomah.edu