Financial Aid Counselor

Financial Aid Counselor

Abilene Christian University is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All applicants must be professing Christians and willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of Abilene Christian University while employed by the university.

Basic Responsibilities

• Assist in the financial aid counseling operations ensuring initiatives outlined in the strategic plan are executed.
• Assist in financial aid communication strategy with current (and potentially perspective) students and families.
• Assist in maintaining and growing partnerships with offices currently served by Wildcat Central.
• Assist in leading ACU in discussion and implementation of customer service innovations for students and families, maintaining ACU's status as a national leader in student services.
• Assist in executing the financial counseling of ACU students, including financial communication efforts of the University in partnership with the Student Financial Services and Billing offices.
• Serve on Financial Aid Appeals Committee
• Assist in collaborating with the Academic Advising Center to maintain a successful relationship between teams.

Essential Duties

Other duties may be assigned by the supervisor. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Assist in the financial aid counseling operations ensuring initiatives outlined in the strategic plan are executed.
• Ensure that financial settlement e-mail communication is accurate, updated, and sent in a timely manner according to the financial settlement proactive communication calendar.
• Aid in completion of call/email campaigns to students and parents before and after financial settlement
• Help maintain a strong working partnership with Student Financial Services
• Develop trust with both teams
• Ensure dynamic and consistent communication with staff and customers in regard to financial aid
• Work closely with the financial aid team to stay apprised of changes to university policies and procedures regarding the financial aid awarding processes
• Stay up to date with changes in the financial aid environment through subscriptions to relevant associations (TASFA, NASFA, FSA)
• Be proficient and knowledgeable in all areas of financial aid, including scholarships, loans, the FAFSA, federal and state aid, and other external sources where students might apply for more aid.
• Provide communication to students about the status of their accounts, including FAFSA, loans, missing documentation, etc.
• Support efforts to educate students and families about financial aid through events, such as Affordability Seminars, New Student Orientation, and other events as requested.
• Serve as a Financial Counselor to a select population of students.
• Assist in helping serve our students through Student Services and aiding in supporting our student staff.
• Aid in preparing work schedules for all student employees, ensuring appropriate staffing is in place for both the Wildcat Central front desk and call center.
• Assist in completing the hiring process for student staff and financial aid counselors needed.
• Initiate appropriate remediation for underperforming employees, including the creation and implementation of performance improvement plans, and termination if necessary.
• Participate in regular team meetings and training related to customer service and financial aid counseling.
• Engage in regular professional development opportunities.
• Develop and execute the process for Houston Bus Trip for both Fall/Spring including planning, booking, and communication with students.
• Maintain responsibility for golf cart transportation for students with acute injuries.
• Maintain responsibility for Wildcat Wheels offered to students, including communication and planning.
• Maintain campus-wide relationships to increase utilization of Wildcat Central by campus partners in regards to financial aid counseling.
• Serve as an advocate for students and families with regard to policies, communications, and financial aid counseling.
• Seek out opportunities to serve as the campus resource person for customer service issues.
• Seek out and identify new ways to provide quality service to students and/or families
• Identify and articulate customer service trends in both higher education and other industries
• Leverage existing ACU processes and systems to provide customer service synergies
• Develop operational strategies that:
• Anticipate student needs
• Communicate with parents as needed an allowed by FERPA
• Are proactive (vs. reactive) in nature
• Focus on preventative measures
• Meet student or parent needs in escalated situation
• Capture information/feedback that guides and informs strategy on customer service, student satisfaction, and serve as the informant for needed improvement on communication and/or customer service across campus (e.g., monitoring and reporting on number and type of incoming calls/walk-ins/emails; student satisfaction surveys, etc.)
• Identify training needs and assist in development of training materials and work expectations.
• Maintain an orderly and welcoming work environment.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with the various departments served by Wildcat Central.
• Engage in clear, welcoming, and helpful communication with families, including parents.
• Other duties as assigned.

Professional Development Requirements

• Skills
• Strategic management
• Knowledge of procedural implementation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Training Modules Required
• Banner
• TouchNet
• CS Gold
• CC Supervision
• SSC Campus

Qualifications

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU.

Professional

• Bachelor's degree required
• Experience in customer service field
• Ability to develop and interpret quantitative assessment instruments
• Ability to create, execute, and see initiatives through to completion
• Strategic planning experience preferred
• Ability to handle multiple initiatives at once
• Ability to organize & manage high call and email volumes

Personal

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong and proven leadership abilities
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, unpredictable environment
• Tremendous interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team-based organization
• Self-motivated and driven
• Detail-oriented
• Exceptional organizational skills

Physical Demands

• Frequent sitting
• Ability to endure long periods of standing and walking
• Ability to work irregular and/or extended hours as needed
• Physical conditioning to maintain peak performance during long days
• Able to handle stress well
• Travel as needed (conferences, site visits, professional development events, etc.)

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.