Financial Aid Specialist

NWC News Desk; Powell (WY); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

NWC News Desk in Powell, Wyoming is seeking a detail-oriented administrator to support student financial aid operations and related clerical work.

This role administers scholarship and financial aid activities, assists students, prepares reports and maintains website information, while monitoring budgets and ensuring compliance with laws and guidelines. Strong communication and data management skills are essential for coordinating with staff and the public.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or two-year technical certificate and at least two years of related experience.
• Equivalent education/experience that enables executing essential duties.
• Knowledge of financial aid processes and compliance guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Administers scholarship and/or financial aid activities and tracks budgets.
• Coordinates dissemination of awards and eligibility based on criteria.
• Prepares reports and maintains databases to share information internally.
• Audits compliance with guidelines for financial aid and scholarships.
• Maintains current website information and related content.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Skills

Scholarship processes

Database management

Budgeting basics

Website maintenance

Regulatory knowledge

Customer service

Education

Associate degree

Two-year certificate

Tools

Spreadsheet software

CMS basics

Database tooling

Job description

Required Training and Experience

Associate Degree or two-year technical certificate, and at least two years of experience in a student financial aid or other administrative environment; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Scholarship and/or financial aid processes, applications, and procedures;
• Database management principles;
• Basic budgeting principles;
• Basic website maintenance principles;
• Applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines;
• Customer service principles.

Skill in:

• Using a computer and related software applications;
• Setting up and maintaining databases;
• Monitoring financial aid and/or scholarship or other budget information;
• Processing administrative documents such as financial aid and/or scholarship applications and information;
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines;
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Physical Requirements

Positions in this class typically require: fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

Sedentary Work

Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Incumbents may be subjected to travel.

Responsibilities

1. Administers scholarship and/or financial aid activities, which includes: tracking budgets to ensure compliance with specified awards; coordinating the dissemination of awards; determining program eligibility based on established criteria; monitoring academic progress to ensure compliance with specified requirements; preparing and issuing award letters; keeping abreast of applicable program criteria and requirements; drafting and recommending procedures for accepting, processing, and disseminating awards; and, performing other related activities.
2. Provides assistance, information, and guidance to students regarding financial aid and/or scholarship programs and information.
3. Prepares and/or administers a variety of required reports and/o​r databases and disseminates information to appropriate internal and external constituencies.
4. Audits and monitors compliance with specified guidelines and requirements for financial aid and/or scholarship programs; researches and resolves problematic issues.
5. Maintains applicable web site information, ensuring information is current, accurate, and up-to-date.
6. Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.