Financial Aid Counselor

Furman University; United States; On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Furman University is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor to provide counseling to prospective and current students and parents, explaining aid processes, timing, borrowing, and the concept of financial fit. The role operates within Furman’s Enrollment Management Department and involves administering federal loans/grants, work-study, workshops, and outreach activities to support enrollment goals.

Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration and willingness to work

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and experience in higher education administration.
• Willingness and availability to work outside of normal business hours when workload requires such.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, including grammar and mechanics.
• Ability to work as a team with inter-office and intra-office personnel to accomplish goals.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with common office software, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with social networking a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the financial aid counseling staff with appointments for students and parents.
• Review and revise award packages and assist with questions from Enrollment Services front line.
• Administer federal loans, grants, and alternative loan programs and report to the Department of Education.
• Reconcile funds, disburse awards to student accounts, and post to Furman’s ledger.
• Serve as the Federal Work Study liaison and perform monthly reconciliations.
• Assist with outreach to students and parents via social media and campus communications.
• Assist with FAFSA verification and review of income tax information.
• Present financial aid workshops on campus and in high schools.
• Participate in professional associations as approved by the Senior Director.
• Perform other duties as required, including possible night/weekend work.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Organization

Attention to detail

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Social networking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Title & Basic Information

Job Title: Financial Aid Counselor

Job Family: Professionals

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full time

Pay Type: Salary

Department: Financial Aid-2

Job Summary

The Financial Aid Counselor, under the direction of the Associate Director of Financial Aid, will provide financial aid counseling to prospective students, their parents, and to our current students and their parents. This includes providing timely and accurate information about the processes for applying for financial aid at Furman, the timing of our decisions, the resources available to finance the costs of education, the role of borrowing and working, and how the “financial fit” of an institution pertains to choosing to apply to and enrolling at Furman. This position works within Furman’s Enrollment Management Department, a holistic “applicant-to-graduate” unit that has the strategic and operational responsibility for meeting the institution’s enrollment goals.

Position Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the financial aid counseling staff. This involves appointments with students and parents (both prospective and currently enrolled), reviewing and/or revising award packages, speaking to those calling in for information, assisting Enrollment Services “front line” personnel with financial aid-related questions, etc.
• Administer the federal loans, federal grant, and alternative loan programs including all reporting to the Department of Education.
• Administration of these programs includes the monthly reconciliation of funds awarded to students, reported to the federal entities, disbursed to the students’ accounts, and posted to Furman’s general ledger.
• Serve as the Federal Work Study liaison with Enrollment Services, requiring a thorough knowledge of Federal Work Study regulations and performing monthly reconciliations of Federal Work Study expenditures.
• Assume creative outreach responsibilities to currently enrolled and prospective students and their parents, when appropriate. These efforts may include social media, campus announcements, etc.
• All work is done via standards set by the University.
• Assist with Title IV requirements for verification of the data submitted by parents and students on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Read FAFSA information and analyze income tax returns, particularly those of business owners.
• Make appropriate adjustments to reported income based on tax information.
• Perform appropriate review of Special Financial Circumstance Forms submitted by students.
• Assist with over-award monitoring throughout the year.
• Present financial aid workshops on campus and in high schools in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, some that occur at nights and on weekends.
• Participate in state and regional financial aid professional associations as approved by the Senior Director of Financial Aid.
• Perform other duties as required: The intent of this job classification description is to provide a representative summary of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions in this classification and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically present in this description, and some of those tasks may require night and/or weekend work.

Relationships

Continuous contact with members of own work unit and immediate supervisor to exchange factual information and explanation of rules, regulations, practices and/or functions. Frequent contact with students, parents, other departments, student workers, and general public to exchange factual information and explanation of rules, regulations, practices and/or functions.

Responsibility for Final Decisions

Responsible for own work, and must assume responsibility for errors and corrective action(s). May assist or instruct others doing similar work, including student workers. Some tasks are well defined and repetitive, following prescribed steps, methods and/or procedures, though much work is upon own initiative and creativity. Errors are readily detected in the normal course of work by standard check or crosscheck. Work is performed independently on routine work; non-routine issues or questions are referred to and/or handled in consultation with supervisor or Executive Director of Financial Aid as well as the associate director(s) of financial aid.

Reports to/ Supervisor

Reports to the Associate Director of Financial Aid

Required Education, Skills, and Training

• Bachelor’s degree and experience in higher education administration.
• Willingness and availability to work outside of normal business hours when workload requires such.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, including the appropriate use of grammar and mechanics.
• Ability to work as a team with inter-office and intra-office personnel to accomplish office goals and responsibilities.
• Must have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience in common office software, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with social networking a plus.

Work Conditions

Work is performed under usual office conditions.

Education Requirements

Bachelors (Required)

About Furman University

Furman University is a selective private liberal arts and sciences college committed to helping students develop intellectually, personally, and interpersonally and providing the practical skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly-changing world. Furman professors are exceptional teacher-scholars who mentor undergraduate students within a campus community that values and encourages diverse ideas and perspectives. Our strategic vision, The Furman Advantage, promises students an individualized four-year pathway facilitated by a team of mentors and infused with a rich and varied set of high impact experiences outside the classroom that include undergraduate research, study away, internships, community-focused learning, and opportunities to engage across differences.

Furman University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and adheres to all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. The University is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all individuals represent a multiplicity of identities including gender, race, religion, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, geographic origin, socioeconomic background, ideology, world view, and varied abilities are treated equitably and with respect. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and institutional needs. In keeping with this commitment domestic partners of employees are eligible for comprehensive benefits and faculty/staff affinity groups exist to offer support for faculty/staff that identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or Black/African-American.

The Furman student experience is supported by a rich network of centers and institutes that includes The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Riley Institute, The David E. Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, The Rinker Center for Study Away and International Education, The Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection, The Furman Humanities Center, The Shucker Center for Leadership Development, The Malone Center for Career Engagement, The Center for Interpersonal Connections, and our newest addition, The Tocqueville Center for the Study of Democracy and Society.

Furman is located on traditional Cherokee land in Greenville, South Carolina, a racially and culturally diverse community that is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast. It has been ranked among “America’s Ten Best” by Forbes Magazine. Greenville has a thriving downtown, excellent private and public schools and a vibrant international community. A 20-mile bike and running trail connects the university to Greenville and Travelers Rest, which was named “one of America’s coolest small towns.” It is within a short driving distance of Asheville, Charlotte and Atlanta. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic Beaches are within easy reach.