Financial Aid Operations Specialist

ArtCenter College of Design is searching for an experienced Financial Aid Operations Specialist to join our team.

The salary range for this position: $55,000.00 - 60,000.00

Final salary is based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

About ArtCenter
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education and has had an international reputation for its rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry, and commitment to socially responsible design. ArtCenter is a private nonprofit fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Every position at ArtCenter plays an important part in carrying out the values, goals, strategic vision, and mission of the College. This includes diversity, equity, inclusion, access, belonging (DEIAB) and culture.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Systems and Operations, the Financial Aid Operations Specialist plays a critical role in daily operations and is integral to the functioning of the Financial Aid Office. Collaborating with various constituents, this position is responsible for managing the electronic data exchange of federal student aid information, including ISIR data, and the origination and disbursement of approximately $12 million in Federal loans and over $3 million in Federal Pell Grant. This position is responsible for running daily processes such as updates to the internal status of applicants and continuing students, revising awards due to enrollment changes, and the processing of federal student aid. This position works closely with Admissions, Accounting and Enrollment Services to follow up on aid and status issues while maintaining the highest standards of federal regulatory compliance in all programs.

This is a full-time position. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The position is eligible for flexible scheduling and can be performed hybrid with the expectation of at least 3 days in the office or required as a condition of employment. The demands of this work may include weekends, evenings, or a staggered/alternate schedule. The college reserves the right to modify schedules as needed to meet the business needs with appropriate notice.

Essential Functions

Financial Aid Operations - 80%

• Maintain overall daily technical operations of office
• Process, cancel, and update all Federal student loans
• Perform student outreach as needed for missing application data such as student loan entrance counseling, master promissory notes, credit counseling, etc.
• Manage Common Originations and Disbursements (COD) processing, import/export of federal data, and Transfer Monitoring
• Review and reconcile unpaid disbursements, record rejects, errors in processing, etc.
• Perform monthly reconciliation of the Direct Loan Program and the Pell Grant program
• Assist with financial aid disbursement to student bills
• Run various Colleague reports and queries to assist in tracking and processing aid, and communicating with students
• Monitor for changes in student status and enrollment (such as newly admitted students, withdrawn admits, potential graduating students, and leave of absences) and update financial aid awards as applicable including revision of awards, canceling or returning loan funds, and sending notice to the borrower

Database Support - 15%

• Create and update queries to ensure data integrity and timely financial aid processing
• Assist financial aid leadership with technical aspects of Colleague as needed, including but not limited to, the annual rollover setup; creating, testing, and implementing rules and queries in Colleague; monitoring data integrity; and troubleshooting issues
• Work with Information Technology to monitor, test, and implement new Colleague software upgrades critical to financial aid processes

Non-Essential — 5%

• Serve on educational or college-wide committees, work groups, task forces and/or councils
• Attend conferences to maintain knowledge of federal regulations and technical issues
• Other duties as assigned

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• At least 2 years of current experience in financial aid or experience working with databases used to manage client or student records
• Knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations
• Experience using Federal software such as COD, NSLDS, and FAFSA Partner Portal
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks simultaneously with close attention to detail and prioritization to meet deadlines
• Ability to maintain good working relationships with various internal and external stakeholders related to the ongoing operations of the department
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Ability to manage data — both reporting and interpreting of financial aid information
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging into work practices within Art Center’s diverse communities
• Ability to work effectively both independently and within groups
• Ability to handle all information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of ArtCenter business
• Ability to enforce and implement policies and procedures

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or institution
• Prior experience in a financial aid office, either managing loan records or counseling aid applicants
• Advanced skills in Excel
• Technical knowledge and experience with database queries and selection sets
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague
• Experience with Entrinisk Informer
• Knowledge of art and design education

Physical Demands and Working Environment

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting with frequent interruptions and distractions; extended periods of time viewing computer monitor; interactions with other individuals. Due to the nature of the work environment, there is regular exposure to fumes, dust and noise.

Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting or attend/work events; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight (up to 30 pounds); to operate modern office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. Able to work nights and weekends to attend events.

Vision: Must be able to have the visual capacity to perform activities such as preparing and reading reports, viewing a computer terminal and other normal office work with or without correction.

Hearing: Must be able to communicate effectively in the course of normal office communication or exchange ideas with or without correction.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the employee assigned to this job; they do not purport to describe all functions. Employees may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may be changed from time to time as necessary.

Diversity Statement
ArtCenter is fully committed to fostering a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging not only in vision but in practice. Our path forward is predicated on our belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures and belief systems are essential to academic and creative excellence. We strive to learn more about difference while respecting the rich diversity in our world, attending to important questions about racial injustice and decolonizing our curriculum. Our campus environment must be vigilant in supporting the full participation of students, faculty, and staff of every race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, socioeconomic status and political viewpoint.

Equal Opportunity Employer
ArtCenter is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants on the basis of race (including hair texture and protective hairstyle), color, religion (includes religious dress and grooming practices), sex/gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and/or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition (genetic characteristics, cancer, or a record or history of cancer), military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry, disability (mental and physical, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and genetic characteristics), genetic information, request for family care or medical leave, age (over 40), criminal background (Fair Chance Act), reproductive health decision-making, off-duty and off-premises cannabis use, or any other actual or perceived characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity is extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including without limitation, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, learning and professional development, promotion, compensation, benefits, leave of absence, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall and termination. This commitment applies to all persons involved in the operations of ArtCenter and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of ArtCenter. Applicants who wish to request an accommodation for a disability may contact the Office of Employee Experience and Engagement at (626) 396-2470.

Applicant Rights (Prior Cannabis Use)
ArtCenter will not request information from an applicant relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis. ArtCenter will not use information obtained from a criminal history about an applicant or employee’s prior cannabis use, unless ArtCenter is permitted to consider that information under applicable law.

Employment At-Will
All employment with ArtCenter is for an unspecified term and is “at-will.” Employees are free to resign at any time, with or without reason, and with or without prior notice. Similarly, ArtCenter has the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice. This “at-will” employment, which includes the College’s right to transfer, discipline, demote, or change the conditions of employment with or without cause and with or without prior notice, cannot be modified, amended or waived by any oral or implied agreement, and may be modified or altered only by an express individualized written employment agreement signed by both the employee and the College president

ArtCenter Employees have a Mandatory Duty to Report
All employees who know or have reason to know of allegations or acts that violate ArtCenter’s Title IX Policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking shall promptly inform the Director, Title IX Compliance and Programs or designee, or the Associate Dean of Students or designee. Faculty, who have a mandatory duty to report, are required to disclose all information including the names of the parties, even where the person has requested their name remain confidential.

Pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), all employees who know of or have reason to suspect child abuse or neglect involving alleged victims under age 18 shall promptly inform local law enforcement or the county welfare department.