Financial Services Counselor Job

REPORTS TO: DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID STATUS: FULL-TIME, EXEMPT, SALARIED

Lake Erie College, a small, co-educational, four-year, independent liberal arts college located in Painesville, OH, 30 miles east of Cleveland, invites applications for the full-time position of financial aid counselor. The financial aid counselor provides excellent customer service and guidance to financial aid applicants and their families throughout the financial aid application process and determines eligibility within the parameters of institutional, state and federal requirements. The financial aid counselor must have a working knowledge of federal and state policies and regulations governing the various financial aid programs and will assist in administering programs to ensure federal regulations and institutional goals are met.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Provides advising throughout the financial aid process to prospective, new and current students and their families. 

  • Exercises independent judgment in the management of operational details of the financial aid process, including but not limited to:

    • Reviews incoming financial aid applications and any supporting documentation needed to determine the accuracy of the financial and household information reported on the FAFSA. Performs verification and resolves C code issues.

    • Corresponds with students/parents for missing information.

    • Completes assigned duties with a high degree of accuracy to ensure compliance while experiencing multiple interruptions.

    • Recalculates and makes changes to financial aid awards when student’s eligibility changes.

  • Manages data integration between the Department of Education and the College’s information systems.

  • Maintains knowledge of policies of other departments (registrar, student accounts, human resources, athletics, etc.) and understands the impact of them on a student’s financial aid eligibility.

  • Utilizes conflict resolution skill set to address student and parent concerns, helping them to understand the situation and identify potential solutions to issues.

  • Assists in developing consumer information, including documents, forms, publications and electronic media.

  • Oversees the administration of the State of Ohio grants.

  • Participates in state, regional and national professional development opportunities to ensure a complete understanding of federal and state regulations and remains current on changes to the federal and state aid programs.

  • Maintains student confidentiality in accordance with FERPA regulations.

  • Other duties as assigned by the director of financial aid.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree with at least two years of experience in a college financial aid office related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

  • Thorough knowledge of available types of financial aid, scholarships, loan programs and general student eligibility criteria.

  • Knowledge of federal financial aid regulations and IRS tax laws and how they relate to federal financial aid.

  • High attention to detail.

  • Knowledge of federal Title IV financial aid programs and of federal and state policies and regulations governing the various financial aid programs, to be compliant in awarding and advising students.

  • Demonstrated leadership abilities, student-centered, creative and versed in cultural diversity. 

  • Ability to work independently in a team environment.

  • Proficiency in technology and the systems used to determine student’s eligibility and originate a financial aid award. (These may include: Powerfaids, Jenzabar EX, NSLDS, COD, CPS, MS Word, Excel, etc.).

  • Strong interpersonal skills.

  • Strong problem-solving abilities and the ability to use sound judgment for decision-making.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Qualified candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume and three professional references either (1) via email to humanresources@lec.edu, (2) online at www.lec.edu/employment-at-lec/ or (3) to  Financial Aid Counselor Search, Lake Erie College, 391 W. Washington St., LEC Box 358, Painesville, OH 44077. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Subject to a criminal background check prior to employment. Learn more at https://www.lec.edu/employment-at-lec/. EOE