Financial Aid Advisor II - job 1 of 2

What We Want

Scholarships & Financial Aid is seeking a Financial Aid Advisor II to counsel and provide information on federal, state, and institutional scholarships, financial aid & military education benefits for currently enrolled and prospective Health Science Center students. We're looking for a passionate, critical thinking, and driven individual who has a student first mindset to assist and advise students on available aid to finance their education. The successful candidate provides great customer service, has the ability to meet deadlines, succeeds in a fast-paced environment, and maintains a high level of accuracy and professionalism. The Financial Aid Advisor II will learn to advise current and prospective students and their families both in one-on-one and group settings.

The ideal candidate will have experience in financial aid, scholarships, student employment, student services, or in a related area. Detail-oriented, well-organized, customer service oriented, and the ability to work both individually and in a team setting is all crucial for success in this position. If this description appeals to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.

What You Need to Know

Salary: $49,500 Annually

Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended

​Other Requirements: Occasional Travel. May be required to work weekends, holidays, and outside regular business hours during peak periods.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience

• One year in financial aid, scholarships, student employment, student veteran’s services or related experience

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to meet deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism, and customer service

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office software

• Ability to work individually or as a team in a dynamic organization

• Good interpersonal communication skills

• Must be literate in the English language and able to comprehend, give and follow both written and verbal instructions

• Ability to organize and make decisions

• Ability to work well under pressure

• Ability to use tact, diplomacy, and judgment in dealing with all customers

• Attention to detail

Responsibilities

Advising/Processing

• Uses discretion and independent judgment to advise and counsel students and their families on financial aid and scholarships

• Assists with reviews of student files and adjusts as needed

• Understands the student financial aid/scholarship process and shadows team members for cross-training

• Awards, revises and/or approves the disbursement of financial aid through the specific controls of program policy and guidelines

• Communicates with students and their families via multiple methods (i.e. email, in-person, phone, etc.)

• Reviews application data against additional data received and resolves discrepancies or adjusts data in Banner/Compass as appropriate

• Collaborates with on campus representatives regarding students’ financial aid concerns 

• May assist with resolving and responding to complex student cases regarding financial aid

Financial Aid Knowledge & Team Support

• Continues to learn, interpret, and maintain knowledge of current federal, state, and institutional policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to financial aid

• Interacts with students and assists with transition from prospective to currently enrolled students

• Ensures that processing activities adhere to established policies and procedures while using critical thinking skills

• May recommend revisions to established policies and procedures

• May provide training and assistance to other financial aid staff on specialized processes

General

• Participates in and assists in the planning and execution of events for departmental initiatives (e.g. financial aid awareness programs, Aggieland Saturday, New Student Conferences)

• Responds to varied questions that may require researching and consolidating data regarding financial aid and scholarships

• Attends local, state, and national workshops, and conferences

• May assist with presentations

Additional Support

• Serves as a liaison for staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Health Science Center colleges

• Provides group and one on one presentations annually for incoming and exiting students

• Conducts presentations, seminars, and/or workshops for the College of Veterinary Medicine

• Provides loan and indebtedness counseling to students on an individual and group basis

• Conducts on and off-campus presentations, seminars, and/or workshops for students and possibly for professional development training

• Collects supporting documentation and make adjustments to financial aid data and packaging as needed

• Makes adjustments if necessary for compliance issues

• Works Summer Manual Awarding report to manually award spring HSC and Vet Med transfer students

• Manually awards post baccalaureate students enrolled at HSC

• Performs reviews for professional judgment of student files, making adjustments as needed

• Reviews Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals and makes decisions regarding the validity of these appeals

• Serves as financial aid counselor as well as walk-in counselor as needed for students of the Health Science Center programs

Who We Are

The mission of Scholarships & Financial Aid is to provide students and their families with the financial information, resources, and support needed to attend Texas A&M University. We offer a wide range of financial assistance programs, including grants, student loans, work-study employment, military education benefits, athletic aid coordination, and short-term and emergency tuition loans. Our office administers aid and military education benefits for students at Texas A&M’s College Station, Galveston, McAllen, School of Law, and Health Science Center campuses—disbursing over $1 billion in financial assistance during the last academic year.