Financial Aid Advisor I

Job Title
Financial Aid Advisor I

Agency
Texas A&M University

Department
Scholarships And Financial Aid

Proposed Minimum Salary
$21.64 hourly

Job Location
College Station, Texas

Job Type
Staff

Job Description
What We Want
The Financial Aid Advisor I learns to monitor non-resident tuition waiver process and creates all vouchers in Aggiebuy to send outside scholarship funds back to donors/organizations. Learns to process awarding for Gates Millennium Scholars and Gates Programs. Learns to plan and organization the annual scholarship reception. Learns to assist with university department compliance audits.

What You Need to Know
Salary: $21.64/hour.
Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended
Other Requirements:

- Occasional travel.

- May be asked to work weekends, holidays, and outside regular business hours during peak periods.

- 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.

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 is responsible for processing student aid and veteran educational benefits for College Station, Galveston, and all Health Science Center sites which totaled approximately $1 billion in financial aid assistance for the prior academic year.

Essential Duties/Tasks
Advising

- Under close supervision, uses discretion and independent judgment to advise and counsel students on financial aid.

- Learns how to collaborate with on campus representatives regarding students' financial aid concerns.

- Learns how to and assists with reviews of student files and makes adjustments as needed.

- Learns the student financial aid appeal process and shadows team members.

- Learns how to and awards, revises and/or approves the awarding of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines.

Financial Aid Knowledge & Team Support

- Learns, interprets, and maintains knowledge of current federal, state, and institutional policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to financial aid.

- Learns how staff interact with and transition students from prospective to currently enrolled students.

- Ensures that processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures.

Scholarship Program Administration & Compliance Support

- Learns to monitor non-resident tuition waiver processes

- Learns to create vouchers in AggieBuy to send back funds to donors

- Learns to coordinate and processing awarding for Gates Millennium Scholars and Gates programs (GMS portal manager)

- Learns to provide input for the planning and organizing of the annual scholarship reception

- Learns to assist with university department compliance and self-audits

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General

- Participates in and assists in the planning and execution of events for departmental initiatives (e.g. financial aid awareness programs, Aggieland Saturday, outreach efforts).

- Learns how to and responds to varied questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid.

- Attends local, state, and national workshops, and conferences.

- May assist with presentations.

Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:

- Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- No experience required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

- Ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism, and customer service.

- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software.

- 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.

- Attention to detail.

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.

- Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts , 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

- Automatic 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

- Educational release time and tuition assistance  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

- Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

Our Commitmen t
Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

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/Veterans/Disability Employer.