| Position Title: |
Financial Aid Advisor |
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| Location: |
Grand Rapids (Kendall) |
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| Department: |
92500 - KCAD Student Services Support
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| Advertised Salary: |
$45,000 - $50,000 commensurate with qualifications plus an excellent, comprehensive benefit package (health care, vacation, retirement, etc.) |
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| FLSA: |
Exempt |
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| Temporary/Continuing: |
Continuing |
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| Part-Time/Full-Time: |
Full-Time |
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| Union Group: |
N/A |
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| Term of Position: |
12 Month |
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| At Will/Just Cause: |
At Will |
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| Summary of Position: |
Provide expert financial aid counseling to students and parents, including appropriate information on aid eligibility, debt management, cost of attendance at Ferris State University and more. Maintain a high level of expertise concerning the regulatory governance of institutional, state, and federal financial aid programs, with an ability to convey complex financial aid concepts to a diverse constituent base that includes students, parents and families, faculty and staff, executive leadership and more. Develop and manage policies and processes designed to ensure the effective distribution of financial resources, leveraging efficiencies that minimize underutilization of funds and maximize student recruitment, retention, and success. |
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| Position Type: |
Staff |
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| Required Education: |
Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university. In lieu of bachelor’s degree, eight years of work in financial aid, or in an education setting providing advising/counseling support, or at another institution with budgetary/fiscal responsibility and planning. |
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| Required Work Experience: |
Two years of full-time office experience in financial aid, education/enrollment management, customer relations (e.g., banking, lending, or business) and/or counseling/advising (e.g., financial or educational) |
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| Required Licenses and Certifications: |
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| Physical Demands: |
- Office Environment
- Sitting
- Standing
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| Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered: |
Experience with Banner Software, Millennium, Ferris360, Navigate
Demonstrated work experience in financial aid or customer service to students in a postsecondary education setting
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| Essential Duties/Responsibilities: |
Manage assigned financial aid programs at a high level that involves maintaining current knowledge and interpreting federal and state regulations, as well as maintaining institutional goals and objectives regarding financial aid.
Actively seek out and engage in training and professional development opportunities designed to maintain in-depth familiarity and understanding of the FSA handbook. Leverage NASFAA membership and its available resources to remain familiar with current and future regulatory changes, trends, and best practices.
Develop and maintain comprehensive expertise across the spectrum of financial aid programs and funding types, including an awareness of the institutional policy, state and federal regulations governing each.
Demonstrate an ability to translate complex financial aid regulations to a diverse constituency, including students, parents, faculty, staff, and community members. Providing professional guidance on all matters of financial aid, determining financial need and student eligibility for the issuance of all forms of aid, including (but not limited to) scholarships, grants, loans, work study and more.
Develop and update critical technical processes, policy, and procedures, relative to new and existing financial aid programs; as well as the implementation of these processes, including staff training, review, and assessment of outcomes to ensure program compliance.
Participate in mission-critical recruitment and retention efforts.
Provide expert counseling to students and parents regarding aid eligibility, application procedures and more through established and emerging modes of communication, including (but not limited to) in-person/one-on-one; phone; email; virtual appointments and presentations; in-person/large group presentations; web-based content delivery; and more.
Present financial aid information programs, both on-and-off-campus, including evening and weekend presentations (e.g., recruiting events, financial aid nights, and orientation).
Participate in, facilitate, and manage intradepartmental initiatives with key strategic partners across campus, including (but not limited to) University Advancement & Marketing; Student Employment; Student Financial Services; Academic Colleges; Athletics and more.
Perform regular audits that may include review of donor scholarships to ensure the appropriate interpretation of donor intent in all application, award, and gratitude processes; OR 2) state and federal aid programs to ensure that the University policies, processes, and aid distribution complies with regulatory governance; OR 3) institutional aid processes and distribution.
Utilize financial aid expertise to propose, implement, oversee, and disseminate policies and processes that govern the distribution of aid to university leadership, Colleges, Departments, faculty, staff, and students.
Ability to oversee, reconcile and manage, in conjunction with pertinent offices and external agencies, accounts more than $1M, ensuring that funds are distributed in accordance with all institutional, state, and federal regulations.
Provide appropriate reporting of account balances and spending, historical or forecasted trends, statistical analysis and more to the highest levels of university leadership up to and including the Board of Trustees and Office of the President, in addition to relevant state or federal agencies.
Counsel families regarding tuition billing and payment procedures.
Support HR with student employment and work study funding.
Assist in budget management decisions for Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) financial aid and development of student costs.
Coordinate with and update KCAD Communications team to keep the website up to date on Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Perform any other duties assigned within the position classification area. |
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| Marginal Duties/Responsibilities: |
Maintain confidentiality of sensitive records and information in accordance with FERPA
May supervise clerical and/or student employees.
May be required to work some evenings and/or weekends. Some travel required. |
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| Skills and Abilities: |
High level of comfort working with technical systems and software applications to investigate, troubleshoot and resolve technical discrepancies in the issuance and distribution of aid.
Demonstrate the ability to engage in difficult and emotionally-tense conversations with students and their families, with a particular focus on de-escalation and expectation-setting.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with an ability to convey an appropriate amount of information to a diverse constituency of students, faculty, staff, executive leadership, and community members in a professional manner.
Exercise professional judgment, in accordance with federal, state and institutional financial aid regulations, in an equitable and consistent matter as it relates to changing student’s cost of attendance, changing dependency status, or altering financial aid data due to special circumstances.
Demonstrate and ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously with a high level of organization and attention to detail.
Ability to apply analytical and problem-solving skills to a wide variety of financial situations.
Perform various mathematical computations with accuracy.
Possess and maintain current, thorough knowledge of all aspects of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs and operations as well as related policies and regulations that affect those programs.
Demonstrated commitment, experience, and understanding for diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
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| Required Documents: |
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Unofficial Transcript 1
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| Optional Documents: |
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| Special Instructions to Applicants: |
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Initial Application Review Date:
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May 6, 2024 |
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| Open Until Position is Filled?: |
Yes |
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Posting Close Date:
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| EEO Statement: |
Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence. Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at ferris.edu. The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University’s Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement. |
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