Assistant Director of Financial Aid/Financial Aid Counselor

Posting Details

Posting Details

Posting Number

S234

Classification Title

SUA2

Working Title

Assistant Director of Financial Aid / Financial Aid Counselor

Department

Financial Aid Student Engagement & Retention Initiatives

Home Campus

Bloomsburg

City

Bloomsburg

State

Pennsylvania

Zip Code

17815

Bargaining Unit

SCUPA

Work Location

Home Campus

Position Type

Staff

Temporary / Permanent

Permanent

Full-time / Part-time

Full-Time

If Part-time, specify percentage (Examples : 0.75; 0.50; 0.25)

Benefits

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education provides a comprehensive package of employer benefits to eligible employees and their enrolled dependent(s), which include

• Medical and prescription drug benefits.
• Generous retirement plans, two options :

Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP)

To be eligible for most benefits, you must be a permanent, full-time employee (including temporary, full-time faculty with at least an academic year contract) or a permanent, part-time employee (including temporary, part-time faculty with at least an academic year contract) who is scheduled to work every pay period for at least 50% of full-time hours.

Start Time

8 : 00 a.m.

End Time

4 : 30 p.m.

Hours Per Week

37.5 hours per week

Days Worked (Check all that apply)

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri

Salary

54,435.00 annually / in accordance with the SCUPA CBA

Anticipated Start Date

02 / 03 / 2025

Anticipated End Date

n / a

Position Summary Information

Position Purpose

This is a professional level financial aid counseling position that requires responsible independent work of a technical and complicated nature. Primary duties include professional judgment appeals, academic progress appeals, and federal verification. Collaborates with other financial aid and university staff to provide holistic counseling on the entire financial aid process for current / prospective students, supporters and families.

The home campus for this position will be Bloomsburg, but position may require occasional work on other campuses.

Description of Duties

Counsels students and parents regarding detailed information governing financial aid eligibility criteria to positively impact recruitment and retention. Counsels students and parents concerning the appropriate and corrective actions needed to ensure that the student receives maximum consideration for financial assistance, in a timely and efficient manner. This includes researching, monitoring and assisting in the completion of outstanding financial aid tasks. Examples include FAFSA corrections / completion, verification, professional judgment and other appeals, PA State Grant corrections / completion, entrance counseling and master promissory note completion, financial aid exit counseling, and other university processes. Assists with answering the financial aid general phone line, responding to emails in the financial aid general email, and managing in-office traffic. This requires an extensive knowledge of the entire financial aid process due to interdependency of federal and state regulations. It also requires strong analytical skills and ability to explain mathematical processes as they relate to the financial aid and billing processes.

Collaborates regularly with Admissions, FYS, TRiO, and Student Success departments as well as other identified departments (as needed) to develop and deliver a consistent message to prospective and current students during the enrollment life cycle. Manage application follow-up by running reports, develop communication strategies to reach students with outstanding financial aid items, and maintain reports / spreadsheets for special populations.

Assists in representing all three campuses of Commonwealth University for Admissions events, local high school presentations and other educational events with in-person and virtual platforms.

Performs other duties (Special Projects) and assists in the operation of other aid programs as assigned.

Decision Making

Makes final determinations regarding student eligibility for financial aid.

Fiscal Responsibility

Responsible for ensuring accurate reconciliation with various aid programs .

Supervisory Responsibility

N / A

Minimum Requirements Profile

Bachelor's Degree required.

Preferred Qualifications

Two years post-secondary financial aid experience is preferred.

Applicant Rating Criteria

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Ability to provide financial aid counseling to constituencies in a clear, concise manner.

Requires advanced math, reading and comprehensive skills.

Demonstrated ability or experience working with federal, state, university, and private financial aid agencies / sources.

Demonstrated ability to present financial aid processes clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing. Skills must be applicable to in-person and virtual communication.

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with professional internal and external constituencies.

Ability to effectively utilize available technology such as Colleague / Banner, Slate, CampusLogic, ELM etc. to perform required job duties.

Ability to work with students and parents from diverse cultural, economic and educational backgrounds.

Essential Functions

1. Sitting - 80%; walking - 10%; standing - 10%

2. Working indoors - 95% and Outdoors (for errands) - 5%

3. Frequent lifting of objects weighing less than 5 pounds

4. Occasional lifting of objects weighing 25 pounds.

5. Reaching for objects at, above and below shoulder

6. Occasionally twisting at waist, and stretching to reach objects

7. Basic math skills and reading skills including understanding written documents

8. Writing skills in preparing and organizing documents

9. Sensory skills, i.e. visual, hearing, and speaking

10. Keyboard skills

Posting Detail Information

Open Date mm-dd-yyyy

12 / 23 / 2024

Close Date mm-dd-yyyy

Open Until Filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, applications must be recieved by January 20, 2025 (extended).

Finalists for this position must communicate well and successfully complete an interview process. Completing this search is contingent upon available funding.

Background Clearances

Offers of employment are conditional, pending successful completion of the background clearances mandated by Act 153 of 2014 and Board of Governors Policy 2014-01-A : Protection of Minors. In order to qualify for a provisional appointment, the Applicant Acknowledgement Consent Form, Provisional Hire Form, Pennsylvania State Police and Justifacts portion of the clearance process must be successfully completed prior to your start date. The remaining PA Child Abuse History Clearance and FBI Clearance must be successfully completed and returned as soon as possible within the first 90 days of employment.

Diversity Statement

At Commonwealth University we recognize our responsibility to continuously support a living, learning, and working environment that values the diverse contributions from all members of our campus community. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion enriches our campus community and is instrumental to our institutional success. Commonwealth University strives to cultivate a campus climate that allows all members to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion as we achieve success both in and out of the classroom, in our work responsibilities, and in our professional lives beyond Commonwealth University. We uphold our commitment to DEI by :

Title IX / Clery

The University prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital or family status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability in any decision regarding admissions, employment, or participation in a University program or activity in accordance with the letter and spirit of federal, state, and local non-discrimination and equal opportunity laws, such as Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendments Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

The University also complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crimes Statistics Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Title IX prohibits retaliation for asserting or otherwise participating in claims of sex discrimination. VAWA imposes additional duties on universities and colleges to investigate and respond to reports of sexual assault, stalking, and dating or domestic violence, and to publish policies and procedures related to the way these reports are handled. The University has designated the Title IX Coordinator (Jennifer Raup, Elwell Hall, ORL, 570-389-4808, jraup@commonwealthu.edu or titleixcoord@commonwealthu.edu ), to coordinate the University's compliance with Title IX and VAWA and to respond to reports of violations. The University has directed the Police Department to coordinate the University's compliance with the VAWA-related Clery reporting requirements. Additionally, inquiries concerning Title IX and its implementing regulation can be made to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region III, The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East - Suite 505, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Phone : (215) 656-6010; Fax : (215) 656-6020.

About Commonwealth University of PA

The Power of Three Bloomsburg , Lock Haven and Mansfield universities have joined forces to boldly transform higher education in our region and beyond. While we are uniting as Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, you can expect a college experience that is anything but common.

We're Honoring our History by preserving the founding principles of each campus and continuing our vibrant on-campus student experience, serving as pillars of our communities, supporting students and our neighbors alike.

We're Investing in Today by answering the greatest challenges facing higher education : accessibility, cost, quality, and relevance through the combined strength of our storied institutions.

We're Building a Powerful Tomorrow by boldly changing the trajectory of public education to position ourselves for growth, increased access, and to meet economic and workforce development needs in our region, across Pennsylvania and beyond.

Quick Link

Salary : $54,435