Job Title
Financial Aid Advisor II
Agency
Texas A&M University
Department
Scholarships And Financial Aid
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
College Station, Texas
Job Type
Staff
Job Description
Our Commitment
Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & identities. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.
Who We Are
The mission of Scholarships & Financial Aid is to provide students and their families with information and financial resources to attend Texas A&M University, along with support programs that promote higher education and developmental opportunities. We administer scholarships and financial aid, which include the following programs: grants, student loans, student employment, veteran educational benefits, athletic aid coordination, short-term loans, and emergency tuition and fee loans. In addition our office provides advising on the programs listed above. Our office also assist students in gaining financial literacy knowledge through our Money Education Center. Our office is responsible for processing student aid and veteran educational benefits for College Station, Galveston, all Health Science Center sites and Qatar which totaled approximately $836 million in financial aid assistance for the prior academic year.
What We Want
Scholarships & Financial Aid is seeking a Financial Aid Advisor II to counsel and provide information on federal, state and institutional scholarships, financial aid & military education benefits for currently enrolled and prospective Health Science Center students. We’re looking for a passionate, critical thinking, and driven individual who has a student first mindset to assist and advise students on available aid to finance their education. The successful candidate provides great customer serivce, has the ability to meet deadlines, succeeds in a fast pace environment, and maintains a high level of accuracy and professionalism. The Financial Aid Advisor II will learn to advise current and prospective students and their families both in one-on-one and group settings.
The ideal candidate will have experience in financial aid, scholarships, student employment, student services, or in a related area. Detail-oriented, well-organized, customer service oriented, and the ability to work both individually and in a team setting are all crucial for success in this position. If this description appeals to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.
What You Need to Know
Annual Salary: $46,500
Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended.
Other Requirements or Other Factors: Requires some evening and week-end work, as well as travel. Must comply with Texas A&M System Policy 07.02 – Texas Higher Education Fair Lending Practices. Must be in good standing on all Federal Student Loans. The U.S. Dept. of Education will not grant access to student loan data for any individual who is in default status. Access to such information is a necessity for this position. Must be able to rectify default status within three months of employment. Good standing must be maintained for continued employment.
Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- One year in financial aid, scholarships, student employment, student veterans services or related experience.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism and a customer service orientation.
- Knowledge of financial aid counseling, verification, rules and regulations.
- Working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs.
- Ability to work individually or as a team in a dynamic organization.
- Good interpersonal communication skills.
- Must be literate in the English language and able to comprehend, give and follow both written and verbal instructions.
- Ability to organize and make decisions.
- Ability to work well under pressure.
- Ability to use tact, diplomacy and judgment in dealing with all customers.
- Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Two or more years in student financial aid or advising experience at a college level.
- Management and supervisory skills.
- Knowledge of current versions of Microsoft products, including Windows and Office.
- Knowledge of Financial Aid or Student Information Systems.
- Bilingual in Spanish.
- Background in general office conditions with much time spent in contact with students.
- Ability to develop and make presentations.
- Knowledge and experience in an enrollment management area focusing on outreach and/or retention.
Job Responsibilities
ADVISING:
- Uses discretion and independent judgement to advise and counsel students, parents, and/or prospective students through scholarships, loans, grants, employment and financial counseling.
- Responds to questions and counseling needs in-person and by written, phone, and e-mail means from currently enrolled students, prospective student and parents.
- Assists students to resolve questions and complaints.
- Provides loan and indebtedness counseling to students on an individual and group basis.
- Uses independent judgement to provide support to colleges and departments as needed.
- Assists with review, revision, and interpretation of complex rules, regulations, procedures and polices relating to general financial aid, scholarships, and team specialty area(s).
- Awards, revises, and/or approves the awarding of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines.
- Assists in developing and presenting training seminars on pertinent topics and procedures within team area of expertise.
- Provides assistance and guidance to other financial aid staff to ensure that processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures.
- Uses discretion to respond to varied questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid, scholarships and specialized programs; conducts seminars and gives presentations to include classroom and/or professional level for profession and others.
- Performs reviews for professional judgement of student files, making adjustments as needed.
- Reviews Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals and makes decisions regarding the validity of these appeals.
- May present at local or state conferences.
- Plans and executes special events for specific audiences and in support of departmental initiatives.
- Transitions students from prospective to currently enrolled students.
- Participates in and may lead departmental work groups.
- Attends local, state and national workshops and conferences; some travel required.
Vet Med & HSC Liaison:
- Uses discretion and independent judgment to serve as a liaison for staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Health Science Center colleges.
- Assists current and prospective students in solving their educational financial problems through scholarships, loans, grants, employment and financial counseling.
- Provides group and one on one presentations annually for incoming and exiting students.
- Collects supporting documentation and make adjustments to financial aid data and packaging as needed.
- Assists with conducting presentations, seminars, and/or workshops for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
- Provides loan and indebtedness counseling to students on an individual and group basis.
- Awards, revises, and/or approves the awarding of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines.
- Makes adjustments if necessary for compliance issues and submits the corrections through automated system correction process or submits through FAA Access.
FINANCIAL AID KNOWLEDGE & TEAM SUPPORT:
- Provides assistance and guidance to other financial aid staff to ensure that processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures.
- Assists in developing and revising financial aid consumer information material, publications and brochures for currently enrolled students, prospective students and their parents, colleges, departments and university use.
- Participates in and may lead departmental work groups.
- Interprets and maintains knowledge of current federal, state, and institutional policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to financial aid, student employment, and scholarships.
- Knows how outreach and early awareness staff interact with CS staff and transition students from prospective to currently enrolled TAMU students.
- Attends departmental and other trainings.
- Reviews complex rules, regulations procedures and policies relating to financial aid, scholarships, and customer service, and recommend revisions to University or departmental policies and procedures and assists in informing and/or training other staff.
- May work with state, regional, or national committees concerning new, changed, or deleted regulations and impacts to financial aid offices and students.
Financial Aid Awarding:
- Awards, revises and/or approves the awarding of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines.
- Makes adjustments if necessary for compliance issues.
- Uses discretion to respond to varied questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid, scholarships and specialized programs.
- Performs reviews for professional judgment of student files, making adjustments as needed.
- Reviews Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals and makes decisions regarding the validity of these appeals.
- Works Summer Manual Awarding report to manually award spring HSC and Vet Med transfer students.
GENERAL:
- Interprets and maintains knowledge of current federal, state and institutional policies, procedures and regulations pertaining to financial aid, student employment, scholarships and accounts receivable at TAMU.
- Develops and revises financial aid consumer information materials, publications, and brochures for currently enrolled and prospective students, parents, colleges, departments, and university use.
- With direction from Supervisor, responsible for maintaining all Financial Aid production calendars and regular monthly financial aid website updates.
Why Texas A&M University?
We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.
- Health , dental , vision , life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
- Automatically enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
- Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
- Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
- Employee Tuition Assistance and Educational Release time for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.