Financial Aid Advisor

Department: Kellogg Admissions and Fin Aid
Salary/Grade: EXS/5

Job Summary

Assist with the processing and packaging of financial aid awards for students at the Kellogg School of Management. Responsible for the Kellogg financial aid email account-reviewing all inquiries; either answering them directly or forwarding inquiries to team member(s) to respond. Provides day-to-day financial aid support using an advanced knowledge of applicable skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems &/or decisions. Apply industry and professional standards, university policy and procedure, federal and state laws and other regulations. Provides administrative &/or clerical support.

Specific Responsibilities:

Analysis, Statements & Reporting:

• Analyze reports to reach out to students for missing requirements to complete the financial aid application/loan process.

Transactions:

• Completes & maintains transactions in SES enterprise systems. Prepares files and assists with packaging financial aid awards for students.
• Provides review and oversight of all types of financial aid transactions, some of which may be complex in regard to size or duration of account. Processes loan adjustments/key grant/scholarship awards for enrolling and current students. Key anticipated credits for students receiving post-9/11 GI Bill VA benefits.
• Reviews: ensures approval based on alternatives regarding practice & policy.
• Troubleshoot problems. Including and not limited to analyzing reports for loans/documents not completed by students to secure their loan funds.
• Obtains additional information from or provides instruction & guidance for customers/vendors; corrects or escalates.
• Provides financial aid policy interpretation to determine the validity of customer requests & ensure compliance.
• Contacts outside agencies such as loan lenders to check on the status of certified loans/loans that students applied for. Enter information into a database.

Grants &/or Awards:

• Packages returning students financial aid award packages with scholarship renewal based on previous academic year-merit based and if merit/need-determines if they qualify for year 2-Satisfactory academic progress and financial need.
• Keys exchange grants and scholarship awards for current and exchange students.

Administration:

• Provides excellent customer service, over the phone and in person answering standard questions regarding status of requests, policies and procedures for processing transactions, &/or instructions for completing paperwork.
• Instructs & advises regarding options and appropriate courses of action & follows-up inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Addresses inquiries from current and prospective students related to financial aid, loan programs, transactions and policies and procedures.

Training:

• Assists with training of new staff members
• Provides financial training on practice, procedure, policy &/or laws & regulations to customers.

Supervision:

• Provides guidance to junior employees.

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• High school diploma or the equivalent.
• 3 years accounting &/or bookkeeping experience or the equivalent combination of education & experience.
• 3 years of financial aid experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent computer skills including proficiency in the use of spreadsheet, database and word processing software.
• Familiarity with financial reporting.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• 3-5 years financial aid experience. College degree. Customer Service Experience. Experience in working in a higher education setting. Audit background a plus.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of PeopleSoft (SES). Knowledge of all Microsoft applications and Outlook. Detail oriented and highly organized. Excellent Customer service skills. Ability to work on multiple projects/work assignments at the same time. Meet deadlines. Familiar with federal regulations. High degree of accuracy.

Target hiring range for this position will be $51,000 - $61,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

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