Student Finance Analyst I

Covista; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 23,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with 6% match

Paid vacation days

Paid holidays

Job summary

Covista, America's largest healthcare educator, is seeking a Disbursement Specialist to join the team supporting Title IV federal aid disbursements across Covista's universities in Illinois.

You will process disbursements, manage returns, and reconcile accounts, collaborating with other teams to ensure accurate application of funds. Ideal candidates have strong Excel skills and experience in student financial services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred and 2 years in student accounts/financial aid preferred.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.
• Strong Excel skills using formulas such as VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, CONCATENATE, sorting, filtering, and more.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proactive in researching new student finance regulations and issues.

Responsibilities

• Process disbursements of Title IV federal aid, state aid, private loans, and scholarships to student accounts.
• Manage returns of funds when required, ensuring compliance with federal and institutional regulations.
• Reconcile accounts to verify accuracy of disbursements and returns.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in student financial aid transactions.
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure timely and accurate application of funds.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Banner

ProSAM

PowerFAIDs

Salesforce

Job description

About Covista

Covista (NYSE: CVSA) is America's largest healthcare educator, serving 100,000 students and supported by a community of 400,000 alumni across five accredited institutions. Through personalized, tech-enabled education powered by 10,000 faculty and colleagues, Covista expands access to healthcare careers and addresses the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage at scale. Covista is the parent company of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University.

Our colleagues come from a wide range of backgrounds, business, academia, healthcare, government and nonprofits, and are part of a culture where doing exceptional work and making a meaningful difference for students and society aren't separate goals—they're one and the same. This means creating an environment where colleagues can develop new skills, build careers that match their ambitions and see the tangible impact of their work on healthcare education and workforce development. Colleagues who deliver results and embrace new tools to work smarter are valued for their contributions. But what makes working at Covista distinctive is our impact. Our faculty and colleagues don't just support healthcare education—they shape it. This isn't abstract purpose work. It's solving real problems for real people in real communities while advancing careers.

We operate on a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week (Monday–Thursday). This approach enhances creativity, innovation, communication, and relationship-building, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

For more information, visit covista.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Job Description

The Disbursement team is responsible for processing and managing the disbursement and return of federal, state, and private student financial aid, as well as scholarships, in compliance with institutional policies and Title IV federal regulations. This team ensures funds are accurately applied to student accounts and returned when necessary.

This team supports multiple universities under Covista, including:

• American University of the Caribbean (AUC)
• Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM)
• Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM)
• Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP)
• Chamberlain University (CU)
• Walden University (WU)
• WU Tempo

Key Responsibilities

• Process disbursements of Title IV federal aid, state aid, private loans, and scholarships to student accounts.
• Manage returns of funds when required, ensuring compliance with federal and institutional regulations.
• Reconcile accounts to verify accuracy of disbursements and returns.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies in student financial aid transactions.
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure timely and accurate application of funds.

Ideal Candidates Will Possess

• Core technical experience/knowledge
  • Preferably, experience with financial transactions or student account management.
  • Strong Excel skills (e.g., using formulas such as, but not limited to VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, CONCATENATE; sorting, filtering, and freezing panes).
  • Preferably, proficiency in multiple systems (e.g., Banner, ProSAM and/or PowerFAIDs, Salesforce); otherwise, candidates will receive in-depth training.
• Work style and accountability
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
  • A strong sense of ownership and accountability, approaching work as if it were their own business.
  • A proactive approach to identifying root causes of issues and following through to resolution.
• Problem-solving and process skills
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly identify and resolve discrepancies.
  • A process improvement mindset, identifying inefficiencies and suggesting enhancements to workflows.
  • Strong organizational skills, able to manage multiple tasks and high-volume transactions under tight deadlines.
• Interpersonal and professional skills
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to interact effectively with students, parents, and internal teams.
  • Collaboration and teamwork skills, working effectively within the team and across departments.
  • A customer service orientation, ensuring students and families receive clear, timely, and helpful responses.
  • Discretion and integrity when handling sensitive student financial information.
• Adaptability and preferred background
  • Adaptability and a willingness to learn, adjusting to changing processes, regulations, or systems.
  • Prior experience in higher education, student financial services, or finance/accounts receivable is preferred but not required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Preferred.
• 2 years experience in student accounts and/or financial aid Preferred
• Must possess effective customer service skills.
• Excellent verbal and communication skills.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and integrity.
• Consistent attention to detail and follow-up.
• Must be a team player.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced deadline-oriented environment.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize workload.
• Is proactive in researching new student finance regulations and issues.
• Well-developed organizational skills.
• PC skills in Microsoft Office, in particular Excel, database and internet applications
• Excellent math and analytical skills.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain systems access to the NSLDS system (must not be in default of Title IV Federal aid)

Additional Information

In support of the pay transparency laws enacted across the country, the expected salary range for this position is between $17.15 and $25.00/hr. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; geographic location; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. The position qualifies for the below benefits.

• Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401k Retirement Program + 6% employer match
• 15 Days of Paid Vacation Days each Calendar Year
• 12 Paid Holidays + 2 floating holidays
• For more information related to our benefits please visit: https://careers.covista.com/benefits

Equal Opportunity – Minority / Female / Disability / V / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation