Financial Aid Operations Specialist

Unit: Office of Strategic Enrollment Management

Department: Financial Aid

Department Summary: The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Global Initiatives is recruiting for an Operations Specialist to support student enrollment, retention, and success orting to the Assistant Director of Compliance, the Operations Specialist performs activities related to the effective operation of VCU financial aid programs with an emphasis on Course Program of Study (CPoS).

If you are looking for a change in job or career path, this position may be the right one for you! We provide training to all new employees, so no experience is required. This position is a hybrid position where remote work is optional up to 40% of the week.

• Complete verification review and processing steps, review and respond to students experiencing extenuating circumstancesimpacting aid needs, adjust awards based on changes in Student Aid Index.
• Troubleshoots inquiries with third-party verificationservicer.
• Responds timely to counselor requests for pending items such asupdating student award packages and verification material.
• Completes related reports on a daily, weekly, or as-needed basis including, but not limited to:
  Subsequent ISIR, Residency Mismatch, Level Mismatch, C-Flag, Disbursement Error, Counselor Request Form. Refund Exception, Overaward, Unusual Enrollment History, Housing Error, Pell History, Loan History, and Loan Extract and Reject Error Logs or Private Loan Error Logs.
• Keeps financial management system (Banner) updated with accurate document requirements to reflect current status afterprocessing forms.
• Communicates with students via email regarding documentdeficiency or loan status.
• Review applications and request forms for completeness and accuracy.
• Track incomplete forms and communicate with students and staffto resolve issues.
• Assists with awarding of financial aid packages for the fall,spring, and summer semesters.
• Originates federal Direct Loans, including PLUS loans.
• Certifies private alternative loans and communicates withlenders to resolve issues.
• Corresponds with external stakeholders and lenders in a concise and professional manner.
• Handles sensitive and confidential information withdiscretion.
• Monitors accounts for over-awards or overlapping loan period sand completes related outreach.
• Identifies students who can be offered a prorated loan for the final term of study.
• Ensures loans are correctly posted in the financial management system (Banner) under the correct SAY code, BBAY code, budgetgroup, and packaging group.
• Remains current on collaborative dashboards for PLUS loan orprivate loans and is actively transparent with updating the account with a comment.
• Participates in the annual Agency Risk Management and Internal Control Standards evaluation process.
• Collaborates with spot-checking and testing in Banner duringnew year setup.

• Perform outreach to student success teams (SFMC) for students who may have aid recalculated as a result of CPoS results.
• Review and monitor reports for CPoS compliance and student eligibility.
• Perform aid recalculations based on degree audit results andCPoS overrides.
• Review and resolve over awards and perform COA adjustments.
• Ensure accurate financial aid awarding, revisions, anddisbursements occur in accordance with federal, state and institutional regulations.
• Support ongoing Banner system testing and updates forCPoS.
• Recommend improvements to workflows that enhance accuracy,efficiency, and compliance.
• Participate in internal audits and compliance assessments, asneeded.
• Review and analyze data to identify patterns impactingenrollment, time to degree, and compliance.
• Prepare data summarizing trends, as well as exception type andvolume.

• Listens to and anticipates staff and student needs.
• Responds to inquiries from colleagues in an accurate and timely manner.
• Maintains a solutions-driven outlook to resolve an inquiry,knowing that it impacts a student’s enrollment, retention, and success.
• Works with other departments or areas outside of Student Financial Services as needed to support the financial aidoperational needs of the University.

• Independently plans, organizes, and prioritizes work to meetscheduled deadlines.
• Informs supervisor when assigned reports are complete.
• Ensures accuracy and timely processing of all applications and student requests.
• Manages documents in the Image Now workflow queue.

• Serves on department committees (e.g. Satisfactory Academic Progress, Professional Judgment) and work groups as necessary.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of federal, state, and institutional regulations and policies. Supplements formal office training by seeking information independently.
• Attends NASFAA, VASFAA, or Department of Education training as assigned, in addition to staff training.
• Processes…