Financial Planning Advisor

The Financial Planning Advisor assists in carrying out the department’s mission to provide professional knowledge, personalized services and support to students and their families to bridge the gap between family resources and educational expenses. They develop student financial plans and handle them until they are finalized. The Financial Planning Advisor needs to make sure that every student is properly funded. This is made possible by judiciously and respectfully seeking and utilizing all federal, state, and institutional student financial resources available.

They must uphold the highest degree of professionalism, confidentiality, honesty, and integrity when handling student information. Good communication skills are extremely important, as the position involves daily interaction with students, staff, university personnel, institutional departments, and the community. Strong basic computer skills are necessary, along with the ability to work without supervision and prioritize the daily duties. All the laws and regulations related to financial aid must not only be fully understood and applied by the Financial Planning Advisor but also periodically updated.

The Financial Planning Advisor is also responsible for the administration and certification of all Veteran’s benefits.

• Learn to interpret and maintain knowledge of complex rules, federal regulations, institutional policies, and procedures pertaining to financial aid. Honor and enforce federal, state and University regulations.
• Assist with interpretation of above to staff, students, parents, and others.
• Explain students’ rights and responsibilities for each aid source.
• Provide financial aid and scholarship information, counseling and advice to prospective students, transfer and reenter students, currently enrolled students, and parents via counseling, telephone, e-mail, and presentations.
• Assist in providing budgeting, money management, loan indebtedness counseling, entrance and exit loan counseling, to students on an individual and group basis and make presentations to groups during orientation.
• Develop a tuition plan for all students prior to students starting school.
• Assist in application process and institutional financial aid applications.
• Must be capable of making an accurate assessment and evaluation of a person’s financial aid need and award FSA funds based on information gained from applications.
• Process and maintain financial aid applications and update data as needed using the following software and applications:
  Ellucian, Colleague, Colleague Self Service, Softdocs, COD, NSLDS, VA Education Platform, HOL Calculator.
• Proficient knowledge of rules and regulations pertaining to Verification, Professional Judgment and Dependency Override. Must be able to apply this knowledge when advising, packaging and awarding Title IV funds.
• Responsible for timely collection and completion of required file documents. Audit the documents for accuracy and conflicting data. Ensure documents and financial aid files are following federal and institutional regulations before approving disbursement of aid to be released.
• Determine a student’s eligibility for federal student aid taking into consideration the student’s credits, GPA, prior Pell and Loan awards, academic counselor evaluation, and financial need information.
• Calculate loan eligibility based on COA budget, SAI and other aid received. Authorize and certify student loan amounts.
• Serves as back-up counselor in the event of other counselors’ absence and assists other departments as needed.
• Initiate and assist the Business Office in ensuring timely disbursements and refunds of student aid. Initiate and assist the Business Office with in-house and out of school collection accounts. Initiate and assist the Business Office in packaging students for any extra charges.
• Compare student data with other departments to ensure compliance with federal regulations and institutional policy and procedures. (Admissions, Registrar, Loan Default Management, Business Office, and Education Department.)
• Advise students regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress, Withdrawals and Leave of Absence.
• Mentor students…