Awards Specialist
Position Summary
BASIC FUNCTION: Responsible for awarding, adjusting, and canceling financial aid, federal and institutional verification, certification of loan applications, processing refunds, counseling students and parents, and promoting financial literacy.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manages all aspects of financial aid award processing through disbursement, including packaging, completing verification, adjusting, and canceling of student awards.
- Closes files and manages Authorization Failure reports to ensure disbursement of all aid according to federal, state and institutional regulations.
- Outreach to students and/or borrowers to ensure accurate documents, and/or actions are taken to ensure accurate and timely disbursement of funds to student’s accounts. Outreach includes but is not limited to email, postal mail, and telephone.
- Reviews award packages for accuracy, prepares award letters for mailing, and manages any correspondence related to the award and verification processes.
- Certifies student and parent loan eligibility for loan processing.
- Processes advance and refund requests for all students.
- Manages assigned weekly reports and submits them to team members.
- Submits Professional Judgment information in accordance with appeal findings and updates award packages as needed.
- Counsels students, parents, and other staff on federal financial aid regulations, awarding practices, student loans, basic budgeting and financial literacy information and SAIC policies.
- Assists other staff as needed.
- Assists in training of new staff.
- Attends workshops and conferences within the field.
- Attends meetings, webinars, and other training sessions as assigned.
- Stays up to date with federal, state and institutional policies and regulations through sources informed and provided to staff such as webinars, websites, newsletters, email, policy/procedure manuals and a variety of provided documents.
- Assists at mandatory SAIC Admissions events, new student orientations, graduations and other school events as needed. Some evening and weekends required
- Makes recommendations on policies and procedures, content and design of forms, office operations and customer service matters.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Associate’s degree and 3-5 years of related student account and/or financial aid required.
- Experience in federal, state and institutional financial aid awarding, loan certification and federal verification preferred.
- Excellent communication skills and attention to detail required.
- PeopleSoft Experience preferred.