Financial Aid Counselor/Program Coordinator

Job SummaryThe Financial Aid Counselor/Program Coordinator performs a variety of processing and specialized financial aid functions to facilitate administration of financial aid programs and delivery of funds to students in support of access and student success. Activities include determining eligibility; awarding aid; facilitating problem solving with students and parents; and making professional judgment decisions regarding student aid eligibility. The Counselor provides leadership and program oversight over an assigned area of specialty; adjudicates appeals; and provides training to other staff.The Counselor shares responsibility for delivering service excellence to students and customers daily through interactions ranging from correspondence regarding program navigation and problem solving, as well as counseling and outreach activities.Key ResponsibilitiesProcessing, Evaluation, and Decision-Making Support: Facilitate access and student success through a multitude of processing activities; providing decision-making support in complex situations; evaluating special circumstances; and exercising professional judgment.Program Oversight and Liaison: Provide leadership; program management; and serve as liaison for a programmatic area of specialization. Counseling and Outreach: Promote an environment of collaboration and service excellence by providing a broad range of student and family-facing financial aid services, including counseling and outreach activities.Knowledge and Continual Learning: Remain current with constantly evolving financial aid regulations (federal, state, institutional); emerging trends; and best practices in delivering service excellence.Knowledge Skills and AbilitiesSkills and Knowledge of financial aid (programs, policies, regulations): In-depth knowledge and understanding of current financial aid needs analysis methodology and federal and state. Knowledge of financial aid regulations, practices, and resources. Knowledge of online student information systems. Ability to interpret, analyze, and apply financial aid and academic policies and procedures.The financial aid counselor requires a thorough understanding of the federal, state, and institutional rules governing the various forms of financial aid. Federal law is reauthorized every 5 to 6 years with regulatory changes and new legislation inserted within those spans. State aid can change annually with each session of the legislature. Institutional costs and processes may change even more often in response to improvements and limitations to technology, approval and revisions of budget priorities, and structural organizations. Every counselor will track these changes and the effects on student awards at the University. The counselor must successfully keep abreast of technical applications of regulatory and institutional changes and use competent and increasingly complex computer system skills to meet their job requirements. Specific assigned programs may be complex and require specialized training or skills.Treats all customers (students, faculty and staff colleagues) with dignity and respect, empathy, fairness and professionalism, consistent with the university mission, values and strategic vision. Demonstrated ability to conduct presentations to groups of varying sizes. Experience representing a department/organization as knowledgeable and authoritative while remaining supportive, calm and professional even under highly charged circumstances. Ability to handle information in a confidential and professional manner. Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information and convey disappointing information. Counselors deal continuously with the dissonance between a family's perceived need and the help available to the student. They must be able to deal effectively with students and families when the office is unable to fulfill expectations. To resolve these situations without assistance, counselors are knowledgeable and authoritative while remaining supportive, calm and professional even under highly charged circumstances. Counselors must also be effective and knowledgeable in communicating to diverse groups and larger audiences regarding the financial aid process and requirements, and willing to contribute whenever possible or needed to outreach activities. Our service structure calls upon counselors to explain, and sometimes defend, professional judgment decisions made by their colleagues. Because of the shared workload and working styles of a large group of individuals, successful counselors must be excellent communicators, good negotiators, team players and excellent colleagues who share the goals and the hard work necessary to achieve them.Ability to handle multiple tasks with short deadlines. Ability to demonstrate excellent time management and organizational skills. Ability to work effectively in a dynamic team and to multi-task in a fast-paced, diverse environment with students, faculty, and staff. Financial aid counselors work under continuous pressure to meet self-imposed, department-imposed, and student-imposed deadlines while maintaining extreme attention to detail and accuracy. Errors may result in significant liability for students as well as the institution. Counselors must successfully balance the pressures to complete assigned tasks, attend professional and developmental workshops, meetings, and training opportunities.Ensures operational integrity and continuity by maintaining detailed descriptions of responsibilities, ranging from daily tasks to strategic activities and outcomes, and makes them available to supervisor. Ensures quality, usability, and integrity of system data by working within approved processes and testing procedures. Ability to communicate with an ethnically and culturally diverse campus community. Ability to follow all university policies, procedures, and guidelines including but not limited to safety, civility, information security, and non-discrimination policies and procedures. Ability to contribute to a positive university experience for every student and assist in achieving the university's commitment to a "vision of excellence."Education and ExperienceEquivalent to a bachelor's degree in one of the behavioral sciences, public or business administration, or a job-related field and two years of professional experience in one of the student services program areas required.Physical SummarySedentary work - Involves mainly sitting. Walking and standing are minimal. Lifting is limited to lightweight objects. (10 pounds or less).DepartmentEnrollment Services Financial AidClassificationStudent Services Professional IICompensationSalary placement is determined by the education, experience, and qualifications the candidate brings to the position, internal equity, and the hiring department's fiscal resources.Hiring Range:The hiring range for this position is $4,841 - $5,162 per month commensurate with candidate's education, experience, skills, and training.CSU Classification Salary Range:The CSU Classification Salary Range for this position is $4,841 - $6,884 per month.BenefitsExcellent benefits through CalPERS (health, vision, dental), tuition fee waiver, generous vacation and sick leave, and 14 paid holidays each year.Time Base1.0 time-base, 40 hours per week.Duration of AppointmentThis is a temporary position for one year with no permanent status granted. Temporary assignments may expire prior to the ending date.Application ProceduresClick Apply Now to complete the CSULB Online Employment Application.PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION COMPLETELY.It is important that all sections of the on-line application are filled out completely and accurately. Please include all relevant education and experience. Your application will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. Additional InformationThe person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 as a condition of employment.A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.Due to the nature of this position, current CSULB employees are subject to a criminal record check unless they have successfully completed a criminal background check through CSULB within the past 12 months.CSULB is not a sponsoring agency for staff and management positions (i.e. H-1B Visas).California State University Long Beach expects respectful, professional behavior from its employees in all situations. Acts of harassment or abusive conduct are prohibited. Demonstrated appropriate professional behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate abusive conduct is expected of all employees.Equal Employment StatementCalifornia State University Long Beach is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is strongly committed to promoting diversity in all areas of the campus community. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, physical or mental disability, gender or sex, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, and veteran or military status.AccommodationsWe provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact ****** .Out of State Employment PolicyCalifornia State University, Long Beach, as part of the CSU system, is a State of California Employer. As such, the University requires all employees upon date of hire to reside in the State of California.As of January 1, 2022 theCSU Out-of-State Employment Policyprohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.