Program Manager, Financial Aid & Scholarships

University of Utah; Campus (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah seeks an experienced program manager to oversee financial aid programs supporting graduate and professional studies, with emphasis on health sciences and medical programs. You will manage communications, processing, and service delivery for students and colleagues on campus, online, and off-site.

Responsibilities include ensuring accurate awards, compliance with policies, and collaboration with partners, with a focus on timely reporting and accessibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus two years of related experience or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience). Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills also required.
• Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.
• Preferences: Prior work in higher education and ability to serve a diverse student population.

Responsibilities

• Manages designated programs in a manner that helps ensure comprehensive awareness and utilization of funding; adheres to relevant rules, regulations, policies, and practices
• Ensures appropriate consumer information for designated programs are available to students and colleagues; ensures effective related communications, counseling, and training for students and colleagues
• Communicates policies and procedures (including rights and responsibilities) to students, families, and colleagues in an accurate, timely, effective, thorough, equitable, and inclusive manner
• Regularly revises, updates, and distributes manual(s) to ensure awareness of applicable and regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as rights and responsibilities (for students and colleagues)
• Ensures effective advice and counseling provided for inquiries and recipients
• Fosters constructive working relationships with on- and off-campus program partners and colleagues
• Ensure award and disbursement records are accurate and all reporting and data submissions are completed accurately and timely
• On at least an annual basis, assesses composition of and need for designated programs and their utilization; prepares summary of analysis and determines appropriate distribution in collaboration with supervisor and/or Executive Director
• Prepares all contractual agreements and/or memoranda of understanding between the University of Utah and relevant program partners, if required, and ensures draft agreements are reviewed and approved by university legal services staff
• Serves as subject matter expert and lead for designated programs
• Monitors and adjusts, as appropriate, student financial aid awards to ensure timeliness and accuracy
• Effectively advances processing and service workloads including delivery of services and processing; adjusts accordingly in collaboration with managers to ensure balanced, timely, accurate, well-documented, equitable, and inclusive services and processing within benchmarks established by supervisor and/or office management team
• Determines eligibility for scholarships and financial aid, including types and amounts to be awarded or adjusted, in accordance with established federal and university standards and guidelines
• As needed, applies verification and appeals policies/requirements accurately, consistently, fairly, and equitably
• Professionally addresses and works toward resolution of complex or novel situations encountered in processing and service work of office
• Ensures professional delivery of services, including maintenance of data/information security, privacy, and confidentiality
• Follows appropriate records management procedures and complies with recordkeeping and archival requirements
• Completes multiple complex reports used to monitor and assure service and processing benchmarks, as well as accuracy of eligibility and payments
• Maintains expertise in laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and high impact practices affecting eligibility for and management of designated programs/processes
• Monitors eligibility determinations for designated programs to ensure they are accurate and reasonable, and that adjustments are made appropriately and timely; ensures maintenance of thorough documentation of eligibility determinations, compliance, adjustments, and all related transactions for purposes of audits and program reviews
• Maintains access to and a working knowledge of relevant internal and external systems
• Provides clear and accurate documentation of transactions, conversations, interactions, and edits affecting student eligibility and/or compliance with applicable regulations, statutes, and/or policies
• Adheres to all statutory, regulatory, and policy guidance, including office policies and procedures
• Maintains privacy and confidentiality of student and family data and information
• Maintains security of student records and related information
• Actively participates in and contributes to overall office effectiveness
• Maintains current knowledge of policies, rules, regulations, technical standards, and high-impact practices associated with administering and delivering federal, state, institutional, and private programs, including associated systems and emerging technologies
• Actively participates in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops; meets and communicates clearly with colleagues in similar positions/roles; researches industry practices; shares resulting knowledge and research with management and staff in order to serve well the students and the institution
• Participates in approved professional development activities in coordination with supervisor
• Ensures area policies and procedures are current and accurate
• Supports financial aid outreach events, ensuring delivered information and question responses are accurate, timely, complete, and professional
• Maintains professional appearance and demeanor, including when engaging students, families, colleagues, and members of the public
• Collaborates with other employees on office committees regarding policy, procedures, and training opportunities
• Assists in training new employees (permanent and temporary, including interns and graduate assistants), as needed
• Effectively participates in and oversees area(s) of responsibility
• Partners in monitoring and assurance that overall office operations are functional, accessible, efficient, compliant, and free of conflicts of interest
• Directs timely and accurate completion of workload, including efficient monitoring and distribution of workload; proactively coordinates with colleagues and managers to ensure effective office-wide coordination and delivery of processing, services, and outreach activities
• Routinely and thoroughly reviews output and reports for accuracy and compliance
• Follows established timelines/calendars for projects/tasks; provides updates as necessary
• Ensures communication of policies and procedures (including rights and responsibilities) to students, families, and colleagues occurs in an accurate, timely, effective, thorough, equitable, and inclusive manner
• Routinely informs supervisor and senior management team of status updates regarding the designated programs/processes; advises management of anomalies, trends, or patterns affecting student and program eligibility
• As needed, serves on and/or oversees various office committees, which may include such functions as communications plan, appeals processes, outreach, personnel, forms and publications, etc.; position may also be asked to serve on Enrollment Management and/or University committees
• Maintains effective working relationships and serves as a resource regarding scholarship and financial aid issues, policies, and procedures
• Collaborates on office-wide training and development plans
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or Executive Director, including providing assistance in other areas within UOSFA during peak or seasonal periods for processing and service

Skills

Effective communication

Human relations

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Two years of related experience or equivalency

Job description

The University of Utah seeks an experienced program manager to oversee financial aid programs supporting graduate and professional studies, with emphasis on health sciences and medical programs. You will manage communications, processing, and service delivery for students and colleagues on campus, online, and off-site.

Responsibilities include ensuring accurate awards, compliance with policies, and collaboration with partners, with a focus on timely reporting and accessibility.