Financial Aid Counselor (PA)

Finger Lakes Community College; Canandaigua (NY); On-site; USD 49,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading college located in the Finger Lakes area is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor to support the administration of federal and state financial aid programs. This role involves duty coordination, processing applications, advising students, and collaborating with various departments while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all interactions. The successful candidate will have a background in financial aid with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Benefits

Comprehensive Health and Dental Insurance

21 days of annual leave

FLCC Tuition Waiver

Tuition assistance for 4-year institutions

NYS retirement or Optional SUNY Retirement Program

Qualifications

• One year of financial aid experience preferred.
• Community College experience preferred.
• Certified Financial Aid Administrator preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists in the processing of financial aid applications and collecting necessary documentation.
• Counsels students on financial-aid related matters.
• Coordinates outreach programs to students.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Career Opportunities with Finger Lakes Community College

The Financial Aid Counselor assists in the implementation of all federal and state programs, procedures, and regulations; assists in the dissemination of pertinent information to the campus community; assists in the processing of financial aid applications, the collection of all required documents and data, and the determination of awards; assists in the development and distribution of campus-specific mailings; works closely with the offices of Academic Advising Career and Transfer Services, Admissions, Community Standards and Counseling, EOP, One Stop, Student Records and Student Accounts to insure college compliance of federal, state, and institutional regulations and policies; assists in the advisement and counseling of students on financial-aid related matters and refers students to appropriate departments for other matters; support collegewide efforts for recruitment and retention; participates in staff development and training; assures the confidentiality of records; coordinates and implements outreach programs to students; assists in the intake of all paperwork and the coordination of outgoing communications; provides assistance and oversight of all federal aid programs (Pell, Direct Loans and Work Study) and operates as a team member of both the Financial Aid Office and the Division of Enrollment Management.

FLCC is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and strives to provide an environment that embodies these principles. We strive to attract talented personnel from diverse backgrounds and traditions, particularly of race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, religion, worldview and physical and mental abilities. As such, applicants from historically under-represented groups are highly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.

Experience: One-year financial aid experience preferred. Community College experience preferred. Certified Financial Aid Administrator Preferred.

Special Skills: Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to comprehend financial aid regulations, knowledge of automated systems and a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Essential Functions

Coordinates and/or assists with the export processes for federal files.

Organizes and participates in both on- and off-campus recruitment and retention activities, such as high school parent night programs, Admissions open houses and workshops and other community activities.

Represents the Director at meetings as requested.

Coordinates the collection of documentation of economic eligibility for the Educational Opportunity Program for their assigned caseload. Works closely with the Director of EOP to ensure economic eligibility determinations are completed and EOP targets are met.

Represents the Financial Aid Office on various committees on and off campus as appropriate.

Provides assistance and outreach services to our campus centers.

Counsels prospective and current students and their families on the phone and in-person.

Assists with front counter duties with staff.

Proactively reviews anticipated financial aid disbursements to student accounts. Analyzes refund reports to prevent inadvertent overpayments which may cause an AR balance in the Student Accounts Office.

Assists the Director with the coordination of the SAP process, reviews SAP appeals, and creates academic plans in conjunction with the AACTS office.

Trains and provides guidance to Professional Academic Advisors (PAA) to ensure they register their students for the appropriate coursework to maintain eligibility in special aid programs like Excelsior, GI Bill, etc.

Conducts financial-aid workshops for new and returning students to help students complete and understand the financial-aid process.

Participates in professional development activities at the institutional, regional, state, and federal level.

Assists in the creation of computer-generated reports for the office. Analyzes, interprets, and provides relevant insights on data.

Assists in the answering of office phone calls

Assists the Director in maintaining the Ellucian Colleague system including testing Ellucian Colleague rules, algorithms, and quality control mechanism after upgrade and patching of existing systems, new integrations, and aid year rollover.

Assists in the daily intake of all paperwork including logging in forms received and helping coordinate outgoing communications with students and families

Assists the Director with parts of the FISAP.

Coordinates alternative/private loan processing, including, but not limited to, certification, reviewing error reports, and reconciliation.

Meets with lender representatives to stay informed about private loan programs, eligibility requirements, and application processes. Disseminates pertinent information to other offices on campus.

Completes verification by conducting a thorough review of student and parent federal and NYS tax returns, and other income documents to determine tax filing requirements, appropriate filing status, and accurate exemptions in accordance with IRS Publication 17. Analyzes tax data and compares it to FAFSA-reported information to verify accuracy, identify and correct discrepancies, and ensure compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations.

Resolves Comment Codes and any errors and/or conflicting information on the FAFSA.

Plans and performs a variety of complex financial aid functions, including evaluating special circumstances (e.g., loss of income, medical expenses), and applying financial aid policies to unique situations. Exercises professional judgment to independently resolve issues such as dependency overrides, special circumstance appeals, and professional judgment adjustments. Uses discretion to make necessary adjustments to FAFSA data elements, including recalculating AGI, tax paid, or other tax-related data, to modify the SAI (Student Aid Index) as permitted within the regulatory framework, adapting standard procedures to meet individual student needs.

Oversees and executes essential daily batch processing within Ellucian Colleague to ensure seamless integration of multiple systems and interfaces, including, but not limited to, FPP, COD, NSLDS, HESCWeb, OnBase, Elm, etc. This includes ISIR imports, COD file transfer, NSLDS file processing, HESC file transfer, ELM imports, and transfer monitoring. Identifies, analyzes, and resolves batch processing errors.

Works with project managers and computer programmers to scope system automations and workflow enhancements pertinent to their caseload. Participates in User Acceptance Testing for all software enhancements and provide feedback to developers.

Performs other related duties as assigned by the Director of Financial Aid.

Essential Program Specific functions (to be assigned to specific counselors at the discretion of the Director of Financial Aid)

Coordinates all aspects of a specific federal and/or state programs including (examples include: Pell, federal loans, federal work study (FWS), veteran's benefits, NYS Aid):

Certifications, adjustments and disbursements.

Coordinating FWS hiring events, oversees hiring process in conjunction with HR and supervisors across campus, and supervises the FA FWS students.

Reconciliations of the awards monthly and annually.

Remaining current on all regulations surrounding said programs.

Counseling, records retention, compliance of program's

Provides continued improvement of programs for student service.

Remains current on all necessary hardware/software programs.

Performs complex Return to Title IV Calculations (R2T4), determining the appropriate method based on whether the calculation applies to a standard or module-based program. Assesses and applies withdrawal exemptions specific to programs offered in modules, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations. Accurately calculates the percentage of the payment period completed by the student, factoring in any adjustments for partial withdrawals or program changes.

Performs Need Analysis using the Federal Methodology (FM), reviews aggregate aid eligibility and lifetime eligibility use, determines financial aid awards, and packages financial aid.

Coordinates the application and award process for summer sessions. Counsels students, reviews applications and awards students.

Responsible for SUNY Cross Registration financial aid section.

Shares all Excelsior duties with the Director of Financial Aid

Participates on college academic appeals committee.

Assists with the preparation of Social Service, Access-VR and landlord letters

Assists with the awarding of Foundation and outside aid awards

Benefits and salary range:

Applicants receiving benefits through the New York State Retirement System should review state regulations regarding post-retirement employment. This position is not eligible for employment under a Section 211 waiver.

Competitive starting salary in the range of $49,764 - $52,874 and is commensurate with qualifications

NYS retirement or Optional SUNY Retirement Program

SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan

Comprehensive Health and Dental Insurance through Excellus BCBS

FSA

21 days of annual leave, 12 sick days, and 13.5 holidays annually

FLCC Tuition Waiver for employee and dependents

Tuition assistance – 4-year institutions

Special Notes: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements.

Application Instructions:

Applicants interested in applying MUST submit the following documents via online:

Resume/Cv

Applications will only be accepted online.

Finger Lakes Community College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student or applicant for admission based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identification, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction or any other category protected by law. The College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in public institutions of higher education.