Financial Aid Counselor

Department: Division of Enrollment Management

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

In collaboration with the George Mason University community, and as a part of the Office of the Provost, the Division for Enrollment Management optimizes student recruitment and retention by developing and implementing strategic enrollment plans, overseeing the admissions process, providing financial aid services, and managing the Mason Student Services Center—a centralized student services resource. The Division’s activities support the achievement of institutional enrollment goals by placing the student(and family) at the center of our work, supporting a culture of transparency, and leveraging data to inform decision-making.

The mission of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) is to offer services and programs to students through awards funded from federal, state and private organizations. The primary mission of the Office is to provide eligible students with funds to finance and complete their education within the boundaries of federal, state and university regulations. The focus of the Office is to help students develop an understanding of the need to be proactive consumers of educational opportunities at George Mason University.

About the Position:

The role of the Financial Aid Counselor is to provide assistance to students, and their families, to proceed through the financial aid process. This position advises students about financial aid eligibility, application procedures, available financial aid programs, costs and financial management strategies including financing options, debt management and financial planning. The Financial Aid Counselor will provide excellent customer service to students in a proactive manner and utilize problem-solving skills to work with students to promote success and retention. The Financial Aid Counselor assists in community outreach activities and provides guidance and information on financial aid related matters, which may include some weekend and evening attendance at information sessions and student orientation programs. This position is also responsible for maintaining a thorough working knowledge of all Federal Title IV, State and institutional financial aid regulations. This position will serve as the primary financial aid counselor for veteran students and/or dependents. This position is expected to be able to evaluate Professional Judgment and Income Reduction requests and student SAP appeals.

Responsibilities:

• Provides financial aid advising;
• Participates in an extensive outreach program;
• Reviews financial aid data review;
• Provides verification, awarding and packaging student financial aid files;
• Responsible for a specific student financial aid program/office functions;
  • Daily duties involve the following:
    • Provides outstanding customer service while demonstrating patience and understanding to students and families who are seeking and/or receiving financial aid;
    • Advises students about financial aid eligibility, application procedures, available financial aid programs, educational costs, and financial management strategies, including loans, financing options, and other financial-aid related matters (further including debt management and financial planning);
    • Counsels students and parents regarding financing an education at the university (heavy contact with students and families via e-mail, phone and in-person);
    • Reviews student applications for accuracy, and to determine financial need and award aid in accordance with applicable federal, state and institutional policies and regulations;
    • Calculates student award packages utilizing various software programs and federal, state and university resources, including gift aid and self-help;
    • Maintains compliance with federal and state regulations and the internal policies and procedures of the university, and monitor and verify information with required documents;
    • Processes applications and corrections, need analysis, document tracking and evaluation of those documents;
    • Verifies accuracy of documents and consistency of financial aid data, federal tax transcripts, financial aid verification documents, and student information; and
    • Generates award notifications or denying aid if ineligible. 
• Reviews professional judgement appeals such as income reduction appeals, SAP appeals, cost of attendance adjustment requests, and dependency appeals;
• Processes corrections on Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) and ensures students are repackaged accurately after appeals are reviewed;
• Utilizes federal sites to review aid eligibility such as National Student Loan Database (NSLDS), Common Origination and Disbursement (COD), Central Processing System (CPS), etc.; and
• Reviews summer aid applications and awards students federal, state, and institutional funding. Makes adjustments to awards to ensure federal, state, and institutional compliance as needed. 
• Serves as the Military Services Liaison;
  • Coordinates with Military Services and the Student Accounts Office to ensure compliance with federal and state awarding regulations;
  • Processes all Virginia Military & Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) stipends;
  • Creates and maintains internal controls to ensure accurate processing of approved stipends;
  • Reconciles VMSDEP stipends, financial aid data file for state regulated reporting;
  • Conducts award adjustments for students receiving additional financial aid resources to prevent over awards;
  • Serves as a point of contact for military affiliated students;
  • Administers Veteran educational benefits in Student Information System (BANNER); and
  • Updates the college financial plan for all military affiliated students who receive educational benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or any combination of education and experience equivalent to an advanced degree in a related field;
• Experience working full time in a financial aid office, preferably in a large university;
• Demonstrated success in managing provision of in-depth communication/contact with students and families via e-mail, telephone and in-person;
• In-depth knowledge of federal student aid rules and regulations; Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, collaborative and computer software skills;
• Ability to provide the highest level of service to students and their families; Ability to work effectively and respectfully as part of a team environment;
• Ability to provide in-depth contact with students and families via e-mail, telephone and in-person; and
• Demonstrated success in managing these communications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Ellucian Banner financial aid software;
• Experience with Salesforce case management software;
• Experience with using a call center software phone system; and
• Knowledge of Ellucian Banner financial aid software.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Financial Aid Counselor at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: August 16, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: October 4, 2024

Open Until Filled?:  Yes