Financial Aid Operations Specialist

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University is hiring an Operations Specialist in the Office of Financial Aid. The role focuses on financial aid operations, CPoS workflows, and ensuring compliance while supporting enrollment, retention, and student success.

The position is hybrid, with remote work up to 40% of the week, and involves collaboration with multiple teams and external lenders. Ideal candidates have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and experience in high-volume environments.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Experience in a high-volume, customer-oriented environment.
• Self-motivated with ability to excel in a complex operation.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse university population.

Responsibilities

• Complete verification review and processing steps for aid.
• Respond to counselor requests and update award packages.
• Assist with awarding financial aid packages for multiple semesters.
• Originate Direct Loans and certify private loans.
• Maintain Banner with accurate document requirements.
• Collaborate with external lenders and stakeholders as needed.
• Monitor for over-awards and conduct data analyses for enrollment impact.
• Participate in internal audits and compliance assessments.
• Handle confidential information with discretion.
• Contribute to workflow improvements and staff training.

Skills

Organization

Attention to detail

Time management

Customer service

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree in progress/completed

Tools

Banner

FPP

COD

NSLDS

ElmSelect

Perceptive Content

Job description

Unit: Office of Strategic Enrollment Management

Department: Financial Aid

Department Summary: The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Global Initiatives is recruiting for an Operations Specialist to support student enrollment, retention, and success at VCU. Reporting to the Assistant Director of Compliance, the Operations Specialist performs activities related to the effective operation of VCU financial aid programs with an emphasis on Course Program of Study (CPoS).

If you are looking for a change in job or career path, this position may be the right one for you! We provide training to all new employees, so no experience is required. This position is a hybrid position where remote work is optional up to 40% of the week.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Financial Aid Operations – Award and Risk Management (20%):

• Complete verification review and processing steps, review andrespond to students experiencing extenuating circumstancesimpacting aid needs, adjust awards based on changes in Student AidIndex.
• Troubleshoots inquiries with third-party verificationservicer.
• Responds timely to counselor requests for pending items such asupdating student award packages and verification material.
• Completes related reports on a daily, weekly, or as-neededbasis including, but not limited to: Subsequent ISIR, ResidencyMismatch, Level Mismatch, C-Flag, Disbursement Error, CounselorRequest Form. Refund Exception, Overaward, Unusual EnrollmentHistory, Housing Error, Pell History, Loan History, and LoanExtract and Reject Error Logs or Private Loan Error Logs.
• Keeps financial management system (Banner) updated withaccurate document requirements to reflect current status afterprocessing forms.
• Communicates with students via email regarding documentdeficiency or loan status.
• Review applications and request forms for completeness andaccuracy.
• Track incomplete forms and communicate with students and staffto resolve issues.
• Assists with awarding of financial aid packages for the fall,spring, and summer semesters.
• Originates federal Direct Loans, including PLUS loans.
• Certifies private alternative loans and communicates withlenders to resolve issues.
• Corresponds with external stakeholders and lenders in a conciseand professional manner.
• Handles sensitive and confidential information withdiscretion.
• Monitors accounts for over-awards or overlapping loan periodsand completes related outreach.
• Identifies students who can be offered a prorated loan for the final term of study.
• Ensures loans are correctly posted in the financial managementsystem (Banner) under the correct SAY code, BBAY code, budgetgroup, and packaging group.
• Remains current on collaborative dashboards for PLUS loan orprivate loans and is actively transparent with updating the accountwith a comment.
• Participates in the annual Agency Risk Management and InternalControl Standards evaluation process.
• Collaborates with spot-checking and testing in Banner duringnew year setup.

Course Program of Study (45%):

• Perform outreach to student success teams (SFMC) for studentswho may have aid recalculated as a result of CPoS results.
• Review and monitor reports for CPoS compliance and studenteligibility.
• Perform aid recalculations based on degree audit results andCPoS overrides.
• Review and resolve overawards and perform COA adjustments.
• Ensure accurate financial aid awarding, revisions, anddisbursements occur in accordance with federal, state andinstitutional regulations.
• Support ongoing Banner system testing and updates forCPoS.
• Recommend improvements to workflows that enhance accuracy,efficiency, and compliance.
• Participate in internal audits and compliance assessments, asneeded.
• Review and analyze data to identify patterns impactingenrollment, time to degree, and compliance.
• Prepare data summarizing trends, as well as exception type andvolume.

Culture of Care and Collaboration (10%):

• Listens to and anticipates staff and student needs.
• Responds to inquiries from colleagues in an accurate and timelymanner.
• Maintains a solutions-driven outlook to resolve an inquiry,knowing that it impacts a student’s enrollment, retention, andsuccess.
• Works with other departments or areas outside of StudentFinancial Services as needed to support the financial aidoperational needs of the University.

Work Flow Management (15%):

• Independently plans, organizes, and prioritizes work to meetscheduled deadlines.
• Informs supervisor when assigned reports are complete.
• Ensures accuracy and timely processing of all applications andstudent requests.
• Manages documents in the ImageNow workflow queue.

Other Duties (10%):

• Serves on department committees (e.g. Satisfactory AcademicProgress, Professional Judgment) and workgroups as necessary.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of federal, state, andinstitutional regulations and policies. Supplements formal officetraining by seeking information independently.
• Attends NASFAA, VASFAA, or Department of Education training asassigned, in addition to staff training.
• Processes special projects and reports including, but notlimited to: Secondary citizenship checks with DHS, Emergency relieffund applications, Study abroad/consortium agreements, Co-opprocessing, and Computer expense/budget adjustment requests.
• Provides support in other areas during peak season, such asscholarship processing, application review, or loan processing tomeet the needs of the department.
• Prepares outgoing mailings as required.
• Other duties as required by Financial Aid and Scholarshipsleadership.

Other Position Details:

• This position is a hybrid position with remote options, up to40% of the time.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Displays a strong attention to detail.
• Experience in a high-volume, customer-orientedenvironment.
• Self-motivated individual with the ability to excel within acomplex, high-volume operation with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to work cooperatively with a wide range of diverseconstituents and colleagues.
• Ability to communicate effectively, in writing and verbally,with constituents of the University.
• Ability to understand the relationship between the StudentFinancial Services units.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment ofrespect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty,staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or acommitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in progress or completed.
• Experience with major areas of higher education financial aidbusiness process and operations.
• Experience using student information systems such as Banner,FPP, COD, NSLDS, ElmSelect software, and Perceptive Content.
• Demonstrated experience supporting office projects towardsuccessful and timely resolutions to drive student enrollment,retention, and success.

Salary Range: Up to $40,000

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

University Job Title: 35011N - Technician SS 1

Posting Closes: 9/14/2026 at 11:55PM