Special Programs Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Counseling and Advising, the Special Programs Coordinator and Financial Aid Counselor works independently to provide a variety of advising, coordination, and technical support services related to financial aid programs and special student populations. The incumbent maintains expertise in federal, state, CSU, and institutional financial aid regulations and processes while delivering high-quality customer service and advising to support student enrollment, retention, and success.

• Coordinate specialized financial aid programs including Study Abroad, Summer Faculty-Led Programs, Accelerated Programs, and other special session initiatives
• Manage awarding and processing for specialized grants, fee waivers, Pell Credential programs, and cross-enrollment students
• Serve as liaison with campus and external partners regarding program administration and student support
• Provide individualized counseling appointments to students participating in special programs
• Present financial aid information through in-person and virtual workshops and outreach events

• Interact with a variety of internal partners from Academic and Student Affairs to the Office of the President, communicating effectively and professionally. Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent customer service and public relations skills
• Working knowledge of methods, procedures, practices and activities of the program area
• Interpret and apply university policies, rules, and regulations regarding financial aid
• Apply the latest concepts, trends, tools, and best practices of enrollment management processes and technologies, including demographic analysis, website content development, telemarketing, student search strategies, social networking initiatives, People Soft, customer service‑based technology systems, and communications strategies
• Demonstrated experience with the Federal and State Grant Programs in a higher education setting – reconciliation of funds, processing issues, and experience with outside entities related to the administration of the programs
• Interpret and explain policies to various staff members and students
• General knowledge of individual counseling techniques and working knowledge of student services programs to which immediately assigned
• Thorough knowledge of English grammar, business writing, punctuation and spelling
• Compose and appropriately format correspondence and reports
• Working knowledge of software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, and database management
• General knowledge of the methods and problems of organizational and program management
• General knowledge of research and interview techniques
• Obtain factual and interpretive information through interviews

• Graduation from a four‑year college or university in a related field, including or supplemented by upper‑division or graduate coursework in counseling techniques, interviewing, and conflict resolution where such are job‑related
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience. A master's degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related field may be substituted for one year of experience. A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling or guidance may be substituted for the three years of experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional career or personal counseling

• Bachelor's Degree
• Five (5) years of in‑house financial aid experience – from application to disbursement – FAFSA completion, awarding students, revising awards, and processing R2T4, etc.
• Two (2) years of experience working with special populations outside of the regular financial aid process
• Two (2) years of student counseling experience relaying information to students and families on their financial aid eligibility
• Two (2) years of experience presenting to students/families in person or virtually
• Experience with an online document retrieval system and running queries from software

Classification:
Student…