Financial Aid Counselor

Position Title: Financial Aid Counselor

Department: Financial Aid

Reports To: Director of Financial Aid

Status: Salary, Exempt

Date: February 2025

Position Summary:

The Financial Aid Counselor provides students and their families with excellent customer service through a sharing of knowledge regarding all facets of the financial aid process. The position is responsible for the administration and coordination of financial aid ensuring compliance with federal, state and institutional regulations. This position reports to the Director of Financial Aid.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Process financial aid for all first year undergraduate students; reprocessing as needed for changes in enrollment, residency status, eligibility changes, etc.
• Complete and process the daily import of FAFSAs from the Department of Education.
• Counsel and problem solve with students and their families in-person, via phone or email regarding the financial aid process, payment alternatives, debt management, etc.
• Responsible for processing verification throughout the academic year. This includes follow-up communication as needed and making corrections to student's FAFSA data. This also includes the monthly reporting of V4/V5 identity verification to FSA.
• Jointly responsible for the management of Satisfactory Academic Progress along with Assistant Director.
• Oversee the Federal Work-Study program. Process contracts and monitor earnings. Train supervisors and provide them with needed knowledge and guidance. Communicate with students and supervisors when they are getting close to reaching earnings limit.
• Oversee and administer the Ohio College Opportunity Grant with the State of Ohio. This includes reconciling funds and ensuring student eligibility.
• Oversee and administer Outside Scholarships - includes I Know I Can program, OFIC scholarships, and processing outside scholarship checks. Also overseeing outside scholarship management on the ODU website.
• Coordinate default management efforts along with Office Assistant
• Assist with athletic aid management and NCAA compliance
• Communicate with campus offices (Admissions, Business Office, Academic Advising) as needed on student financial aid file status.
• Back up for daily financial aid office communications; award letters, cost estimate worksheets, batch and individual documentation request letters, mailings, postcards, emails, faxes.
• Update financial aid policy and procedures as necessary.
• Participate in professional development activities - attending financial aid training and conferences to keep up with current financial aid regulations and changes, reading FSA Handbook to stay abreast of financial aid rules.
• Assist in special projects assigned by the Assistant Director or Director.
• Involved with cross-training within the office for back-up purposes.
• Enter forms received into Colleague system.
• Prepare student information for audits.
• Perform administrative tasks such as answering phones, greeting visitors, copying documents, sending and receiving faxes, responding to e-mails and phone messages, etc.
• Attend various University meetings and events and serve on campus committees as requested.
• Support and contribute to the mission and vision of Ohio Dominican University.
• Occasional evening and weekend hours required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education/Experience:

A Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience is required along with previous administrative experience in a professional office environment. Excellent organization, oral and written communication and people skills are also required. The successful candidate must be proficient in the Microsoft office suite and be comfortable speaking in front of groups. Familiarity with college financial aid is preferred. Additionally, they must be able to support the mission and vision of Ohio Dominican University.

Communication Skills/Requirements:

Excellent communication skills are required for this position. Must be able to communicate effectively with students, parents, and departments across campus. Able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing as to work requirements, work in progress, work completion and status of departmental goals. Strong interpersonal skills combined with the ability to utilize active listening skills to ascertain areas of need, define problems, and determine possible solutions to meet expressed needs is also required. Must be able to demonstrate leadership, tact, diplomacy, professionalism and a positive demeanor in performance of all duties.

Mathematical Ability:

Able to use math to add, subtract, multiply or divide and may work with fractions, decimals, or percentages.

Reasoning Ability:

Most work is complex and requires a high level of judgment. Requires the ability to decide on a course or sequence of action and to direct others in that course of action. Must have continuous visual and mental attention while performing responsibilities of the position. Must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. Must be able to reasonably envision future needs and plan accordingly. Must be able to manage, organize and prioritize multiple tasks and use good project management and organizational skills.

Additional Information:

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. It is, instead, a description of the essential elements of the position.

Ohio Dominican University is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, as we respect and seek to empower each individual and support the various cultures, perspectives, skills and experiences within our workforce.