STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SPECIALIST

Under the administrative arm of the Board of Regents, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) administers Louisiana’s premier merit-based scholarship program, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), Louisiana’s need-based component to the state’s financial aid plan to support non-traditional and low to moderate-income students called Go Grant, the state’s 529 college savings plan called the Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust (START) program, the educational savings plan for K-12 tuition called the START K-12 program, the 529-A savings plan called the Louisiana ABLE program, the Rockefeller State Wildlife Scholarship program, the Louisiana National Guard Patriot Scholarship program, TOPS Tech Early Start Program for 11th and 12th graders, the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program, the Go Youth ChalleNGe Program, the work force development program that provides financial assistance for students enrolled in one of 5 high demand, high pay industry sectors, called the MJ Foster program, and scholarships for students enrolled in teacher preparation programs called the Geaux Teach program.
 
LOSFA is extremely active in the dissemination of college access information within the state, with a concentration on assisting students from low-income families and first-generation college attendees in locating and obtaining the resources necessary to pursue and complete a postsecondary education. To attain this, LOSFA regularly partners with other entities including the Louisiana Department of Education (LADOE), the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Statewide School Districts, U.S. Department of Education, the Louisiana Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and others. In conjunction with DCFS, LOSFA provides payment processing assistance for the Chafee Education and Training Voucher for students who have aged out of the foster care system and Strategies to Empower People (STEP) to aid government-assisted citizens in obtaining their Adult Education certificate and Vocational Education training.
 
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A baccalaureate degree in accounting, business administration, or finance.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Excellent communication skills both oral and written.
• Exceptional customer service, attention to detail and problem resolution experience.
• Interpersonal skills to remain professional and claim in difficult to handle situations.
• Be a team-player and demonstrate the ability to adapt to new/changing situations quickly. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:
 
ADMINISTRATION:

• Processes deposits from various sources, including but not limited to individual owners, banks, Louisiana Department of Revenue, and employers into individual college, K12, and ABLE savings accounts.
• Daily reconciliation with the FISCAL Division to include all deposits and return items (stop payments, NSF items).
• Writes and tests for web-based programming specifications for web-based programming to comply with complex rules adopted by the LATTA.
• Reading, interpreting, and resolving error reports generated from the Software system.
• Proposes program goals and objectives, develops, and proposes policies and plans to the Supervisor of START Programs for effective of the section.
• Under the direction of the Supervisor of START Programs, plans, organizes, and performs the internal administration of the START Saving Program to ensure adherence to the state and federal legislation and the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority's rules.
• Communicates information with other Division staff in order to define the functional process and priorities of the START Program and improve operating efficiency, using oral and written correspondence in order to accomplish division goals and objectives.
• Suggests operating procedures to provide division documentation of all division operations including development of and revisions of training and workflow manuals to enable personnel to perform work assignments consistent with program regulations.
• Proposes general requirements and defined specifications for development and modification of automated systems to enhance program operation and record-keeping activities.
• Analyzes requirements, suggests procedures and proposes revisions and amendments to START Saving Program rules to ensure compliance with federal and state legislation.
• Researches depositor's agreements and other documented information in order to prevent or resolve conflicts which arise relative to the interpretations and implementation of various START Saving Program rules and section staff, post-secondary institutions, account owners, account beneficiaries, participating financial institutions and the office of the State Treasurer's staff.
• Assists in preparation of position statements relative to proposed federal and state legislation affecting the START Saving Program.
• Post daily contributions to accounts, process account owner(s) requested changes to records, responds to inquiries from the public concerning program rules and applications.
• Prepares reports of coordinated outcome with Fiscal and Office of the State Treasurer on account balances of depositor contributions for distribution of earnings and reconciliation reports of account owner contributions.
• In the absence of the Supervisor of START Programs performs the duties of the Supervisor of START Programs.
• Performs other duties as requested by the Supervisor of START Programs.

INVESTMENTS:

• Utilizes knowledge of Vanguard investment options offered by the START Saving Program and general financial markets to discuss investment options to current and potential account owners.
• Provides account owners knowledge about mutual fund contributions and the changes of those investment dollars.
• Maintains system investment records and recommends changes to system procedures.

FINANCIAL:

• Assists in the coordination and preparation of technical reports as required to justify funding and provide management information on the progress of the program in meeting established goals and objectives, including weekly section reports, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial and statistical reports.
• Assists in coordination and preparation of technical reports as required for deposits and withdrawals, including disbursement to post-secondary institutions, account owners and/or beneficiaries, account owner refunds, earnings distributions, and tuition assistance grant allocations on daily, weekly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Assists in developing the monetary accounting and control procedures for receivables and payables, including collection of deposits, tracking electronic deposits, calculating grant allocation amounts based on account owner's annual federal adjusted gross income and category of account, crediting deposits, interest and grant allocations, forwarding deposits to the office of the State Treasurer for investment, and distribution of funds for payment of eligible higher education expenses to institutions or refunds to depositor's agreement designated recipient.
• Analyzes and suggests budget requirements and assists in the preparation of the START Saving Program division budget.
• Annually assists in the compilation of division plan of operations.

COMMUNICATION AND PROGRAM PROMOTION:

• Communicates to account owners, employers, agency staff in a professional manner while conveying and receiving the needed information.
• Maintains effective working relationships with banks, vendors, employers, and the office of the State Treasurer.
• Communicates orally and in writing to the office of the State Treasurer for the purposes of tracking owner and beneficiary Education Savings Account information.
• Participates in the preparation for committee meetings of the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority.
• Responds to requests from potential account owners and requests for program rules, investment information, legislation and/or applications.
• In the absence of the Director of START Programs and the Supervisor of START Programs, attends meetings of the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority and other designated meetings.

HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities.
  
 
VACANCY INFORMATION:
This is an unclassified position.
 
This position is located in Baton Rouge, LA.
 
Applications will be rejected if the applicant fails to meet the minimum qualifications, submits an incomplete application, or fails to apply by the closing date of the announcement.  
 
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application listing complete work experience and education.
 
Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript or any other materials as outlined in the posting to your application if possible.
 
In compliance with federal law, all individuals hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form (I-9) upon hire.

Salary : $61,573 - $73,299