Financial Aid Counselor / Student Eligibility

Summary:The Financial Aid Counselor will provide financial aid counseling, oversee FAFSA initiatives, review special project applications, do statistical reporting, and resolve issues related to student financial aid eligibility, including C-codes, special and unusual circumstances, Satisfactory Academic Progress, and verification.

Minimum Qualifications Required:Education required to ensure success in this position:• Bachelor’s degree• Master’s degree preferred

Experience required to ensure success in this position:• A minimum of two years of experience in a financial aid office, finance office, or bank• Show progression in responsibilities of job(s) prior to Berea position

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:• Experience with Word and Excel• Experience with a higher education administrative software; Ellucian BANNER administrative software is preferred• Experience in federal income tax filing is preferred• Knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations

License, certification, or registration necessary:• Have several NASFAA credentials

Physical requirements:• Must be able lift 10 pounds• Must be able to work in a high-traffic office environment and not lose composure

Environmental conditions:• none

Ability to operate the following equipment:• Fax machine, copier, and/or scanning and indexing of documents,

Travel expectation:• Must be willing to travel for training conferences (approximately 5% of position)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.FINANCIAL AID COUNSELING:• Review and process Special and Unusual Circumstance submission for students as allowed by Federal financial aid policiesand communicate results to students• Review student applications for Special Project funds and award aid as per Federal, State, and institutional policies• Review requests for additional aid for educational expenses to determine if more aid can be awarded per Federal, state, andinstitutional policies• Work with students on medical/dental/optical procedures, including funding sources• Will counsel with students on financial aid; will award grants/scholarships, and loans as needed, per Federal, State, and institutionalpoliciesRESOLUTION OF STUDENT ELIGBILITY ISSUES:• Process verification for those students selected as set forth in the Department of Education’s Federal Policies; requires specificknowledge of the IRS tax code• Review and resolve C-Code issues• Review and resolve Satisfactory Academic Progress issues• Review and resolve issues related to unofficial FAFSAsTRAINING:• Must complete some, if not all 17, of the NASFAA credentials, through study and testing• Participate in professional trainings at the federal, national, regional, and state conferences at the discretion of the Director or AssistantDirector.• Must complete tax training each year• Must be able to understand and appropriately use the Financial Aid Handbook (federal financial aid policies) of the Department ofEducation in awarding aid.• Must be able to interpret federal policies as related to Berea’s Financial and Labor Programs• Be aware of possible changes in policies related to position from news reporting and list-servesOTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:• Planning and executing FAFSA initiatives throughout campus to help ensure a high percent of students complete FAFSA’sby the priority deadline in order to receive Kentucky State grants.• Process Professional Judgement Appeals• Must maintain electronic policies and procedures (P&P) related to their work in the office’s P&P electronic folderOther roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist the College in the attainment of the goals set forth and the enhancement of a positive, respectful learning environment for all staff, faculty and students.