Job Description

The Financial Aid Specialist within the Financial Aid Office is responsible to the Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs and to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services to provide customer service, technical support and clerical support for Surry Community College's Financial Aid Office by performing the following duties:
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Provide knowledgeable assistance to students and others in completing application process/forms for aid. Knowledge of basic eligibility criteria for federal, state, and institutional aid. Completes import process to pull Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data for all admitted applicants into the system. This includes new applications as well as corrected applications (initiated by either the school, the applicant, or the Central Processing System (CPS)). Completes processing of State Grants (including Next NC and NC Targeted Assistance Program etc.) through Colleague Interface. Responsible for handling all phases of the NC Child Care Grant including applications, verify child care providers, attendance and payment. Assists with counseling, awarding and overseeing Alternative Loans, including certification and disbursement. Responsible for processing ISIRs for students within a specified portion of the alphabet and create applicant files in Colleague and SoftDocs. Correspond with aid applicant to obtain all required documentation necessary for eligibility determination. Evaluate/maintain applicant folder until complete, including verification as mandated by the Department of Education and completion of all Admissions requirements. Provide assistance to, and cross-train with, Financial Aid Compliance Specialist in order to provide support for processes such as origination, disbursements, billing of state and federal aid and return to title IV calculations. Cross train with Veterans Affairs. Assist with annual setup of FA module in Colleague. Includes setup in both Test and Production environments and necessary testing. Maintain high level of customer service for a diverse population. Assist with presentations of financial aid workshops and FAFSA Help Days for agencies and high schools in the service area. Be available as needed to assist in all other activities necessary to facilitate the operation of the Student Services office. Maintaining productive relationships with area guidance personnel, secondary schools, colleges and universities. Relating financial aid availability in the programs and curricula of Surry Community College for prospective and current students. Assist in other areas of activity with Financial Aid Office, Veterans Office and Student Services as needed. Stay up to date on all federal and state financial aid regulations with required training (online and some travel). Maintain a clean and safe work area. Maintain accurate files and scan in etrieve.
General Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and must meet the requirements listed below that represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to be successful. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.



LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common correspondence and reports. Ability to articulate professional responses to common inquiries and/or complaints from students, faculty, staff, or the public at-large. Ability to write using proper grammar and punctuation. Ability to effectively present information to management, students, faculty, staff, or the public at-large.


MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to apply and understand standard mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.


REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.


OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

Understanding of and commitment to the unique nature and role of the College and to the philosophy of the community college system.
Required Qualifications
Associate Degree in Office Systems, Business Administration, or related field; experience/proficiency in the use of integrated software (Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel), effective oral and written communication skills, and the ability to coordinate and prioritize office duties.
Preferred Qualifications
Associate Degree in Office Systems, Accounting, Business Administration or related field; experience/proficiency in the use of integrated software (Microsoft Word, Power Point, and Excel), effective oral and written communication skills, and the ability to coordinate and prioritize office duties. Experience in an educational office setting; Experience in Financial Aid Office Knowledge of Colleague or Banner, Award Spring, Etrieve, Informer software. Experience with rule writing in Colleague or Programming skills Bilingual
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.



While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit, stand, & walk; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.



While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally be outside. * The noise level in the work environment is usually low.