General Description and Purpose
Under the supervision of the Director of Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Administrative Assistant provides high quality service to students, parents, and employees to achieve a high standard of excellence and innovation by serving as the first point of contact for students inquiring about financial aid, helping students to apply for financial aid and scholarships as well as updating the students on the status of their file. The Financial Aid Administrative Assistant provides administrative support to the Financial Aid department; composes and prepares correspondence and performs data entry duties; help the financial aid team surpass all expectations; and make recommendations on awarding policies and procedures to meet Pratt Community College enrollment goals; and will participate in various activities promoting professional development.
Primary Functions/Responsibilities
- This position is the initial point of contact for all incoming communication and traffic to the Financial Aid Office. This may include, but is not limited to, phone calls, emails, faxes, student uploads, and foot traffic. This position needs to be able to multi-task with accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness.
- Communicate financial aid regulations in a way that that increases public understanding of Pratt CC’s policies and procedures.
- Proactively examine student information to determine if further action is needed by the student/family or Financial Aid Office.
- Assists students with completing FAFSA and other corrections as needed.
- Provide front-line counseling to those contacting the Financial Aid Office. This may include, but is not limited to, eligibility information, problem resolution, satisfactory academic progress information, or other financial aid inquiries.
- Management of the Financial Aid front office and preserving the professional look of the area.
- Exercises initiative and independent judgment to determine whether a student may qualify for special circumstance.
- Monitor for potential ID theft or Title IV fraud and report as appropriate.
- Process documents received by the Financial Aid Office or any other Campus Department, as needed and proactively resolve any issues.
- Collect statistical data regarding office traffic.
- Responsible for maintaining the inventory of documents within the Financial Aid Office.
- Responsible for preparing packets for high school night and community events.
- Serve as office assistant and perform clerical duties for Financial Aid staff.
- Strive for optimum operational efficiency, employee job satisfaction and high morale. Support the administrative decisions made by the Director and follow the chain of reporting command.
- Coordinates campus visits as requested by the Office of Admissions.
- Cooperate with and serve as a resource to other departments and sites regarding Financial Aid.
- Coordinate schedules and projects with the Financial Aid staff.
- All other duties as assigned by the Director, Assistant Director, and Counselor.
Coordination and Accountability Tasks
None
Supervises the Following Staff
None
Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and other Characteristics
- Superior customer service and organizational skills.
- Ability to remain calm, empathetic, and professional in stressful situations.
- Ability to work and counsel effectively with various types of students and families.
- Ability to work effectively with personnel from federal, state and local agencies, and lending institutions.
- Ability to read and interpret federal regulations and apply to institutional procedures.
- Ability to supervise and apply personnel policy as outlined by the college.
- Clerical skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Must have good written and oral communication skills.
- This position requires access to federal aid databases and therefore cannot be in default or owe an overpayment in any Title IV Federal Financial Aid program.
Experience
- Customer Service experience required.
- Experience in an office setting strongly preferred.
- Experience in Microsoft Office preferred.
- Knowledge/experience in the field of financial aid highly preferred, but not required.
Education
High School Diploma or equivalent required; Associate’s degree preferred.
Work Conditions/Environment
Office setting
Other
None
