Student Financial Services Counselor

JOB SUMMARY

The Student Financial Services (SFS) Counselor role is essential in the way that they assist students and families proactively in navigating the financial aid process at SEU. The SFS Counselor will help students by optimizing funding from federal, state, and institutional resources within the framework of established federal/state/institutional regulations and policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to: Associate Director of Student Financial Services

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Indirect Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

ESSENTIAL DUTIES - May include, but is not limited to the following:

• Have working knowledge of federal/state financial assistance regulations and SEU policies in awarding financial aid to ensure compliance and audit requirements
• Respond to emails and voicemail messages within 1 business day
• Provide information and guidance to students and their families via email, phone, and in-person meetings on institutional, state, and federal financial aid programs and payment plans administered by the university
• Determine eligibility (including satisfactory academic progress) and award various types of federal, state, and institutional assistance in full compliance with federal and state regulations, university policies, and audit requirements
• Facilitate the awarding and receipt of scholarships (with federal/state/SEU awards) from both SEU and off-campus sources
• Notify students regarding financial aid offers and updates to eligibility
• Communicate with students and their families regarding student account balances, charges, and aid
• Advise students and their families of payment plan options, costs, and deadlines
• Provide excellent customer service to students and their families
Navigate and learn necessary federal and state systems and resources as required to support SFS operations

ADDITIONAL/NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES

N/A

All remaining duties are considered "nonessential" within the context of the ADA, which means that the function could be reassigned to another employee in order to allow a disabled individual to hold the position. Alternatively, the manager could try to provide a reasonable accommodation so that the disabled individual could perform the function.

LOCATION

Lakeland Main Campus

EDUCATION

Required Education:

Bachelors degree is required.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, education or other related field.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

N/A

EXPERIENCE

Required:

None

Preferred:

1-2 years in higher education student service or financial aid role

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Required:

• Proven customer service skills and enthusiasm for providing exceptional service to diverse populations including undergraduate, online/site-based students, graduate students, parents, staff, faculty, and other constituencies
• Sensitivity to the financial concern and stress of students and their families, and an aptitude for explaining complex financial information in terms that are easily understood and enhance the student/parent experience
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, organization, and analytical skills
• Experience in multi-task and detail operations
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to stressful circumstances and difficult students/parents
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively towards the optimum delivery of service to students/parents

Preferred:

• Familiarity with the Google Suite of products
• Flexibility in work schedule to accommodate limited evening and weekend hours
Preference given to candidates with PowerFAIDS and Jenzabar software experience

WORK ENVIRONMENT

All employees are responsible for maintaining an environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, harassment, including sexual harassment.

• This position is considered non-essential for the purposes of Emergency Response.

Physical Requirements:

General Physical Activities

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Occasional standing, walking, or moving between offices/buildings for meetings or events.

Fine Motor Skills

Frequent use of hands for typing, writing, and handling documents.
Ability to operate standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, and copiers.

Sensory Requirements

Clear verbal communication and listening skills for advising students and families.
Adequate vision for reading detailed documents, reports, and financial forms.
Ability to interpret visual information such as charts, graphs, or electronic data.

Work Schedule and Stamina

Ability to maintain focus and productivity during standard work hours.
Occasionally required to work extended hours during peak enrollment periods.
Physical ability to attend recruitment events or financial aid workshops as needed.

Environmental Considerations

Primarily works indoors in an office setting with moderate noise levels.
Some travel to campus events or external locations may be required.

Travel:

No

Schedule:

Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm

TRAINING

All new hires and employees transferring into a new position will have a 90-day probationary period within which to learn the functions of the job and to be evaluated. Following the probationary period, the employee can transition to regular status, have the probationary period extended in order to receive more training, or employment can be terminated. Required compliance training is as follows:

N/A

SAFETY

• SEU promotes a safe working environment. Employees are responsible for completing assigned tasks safely and efficiently, and supervisors are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment.
• Employees must report any unsafe work conditions or practices, as well as any near-miss incidents, to their supervisor and Risk Management.
• Work-related injuries must be immediately reported to Security and Human Resources. When life or limb are at risk, please dial 911. Supervisors and employees should ensure that injury/accident reports are submitted to the Office of Human Resources within 24 hours of the incident.
Emergency Employees report for or must remain at work in emergency situations. Dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to this position, unless instructed otherwise by your direct supervisor or a member of the Leadership Team.

SCREENING

All full-time positions at SEU are deemed security-sensitive and require background checks. Employees required to drive their own personal vehicle, a rental car or an SEU vehicle in performance of their duties must pass an MVR records check and meet the requirements of the Universitys insurance carrier in order to meet the requirements of the position.

DISCLAIMER

SEU is an at-will employer. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change. The employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

SEU is committed to providing a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. All forms of discrimination against or harassment of a person because of his or her identification within a protected category are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. This prohibition applies equally to conduct by and against employees, vendors, visitors, and students.

Southeastern University is committed to equal opportunity in employment and education and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. The equal opportunity policy will apply in University programs and activities, and all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. All employees of Southeastern University, by continued employment, agree to abide by the policies contained in the Employee Handbook and in the SEU Mission, Vision, Statement of Faith and Community Covenant.