Student Services Specialist - 410

Bachelor's Degree; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

N/A

To assist students and parents in obtaining the financial assistance necessary for a college education at UNCP.

The counselor will be responsible for counseling students about the amount of financial aid that they can receive, including eligibility for federal, state and institutional grants and loans. The counselor also serves as the point of contact for communications with students, parents, faculty, and staff regarding scholarship opportunities. This individual will serves as the Scholarship Coordinator for the office and will be responsible for maintaining the Brave Assist Portal and responsible for awarding/posting/reconciling all internal scholarships to students. Work Study Coordinator: This counselor will be responsible for the work study program from entering contracts, awarding students, tracking payrolls and hours worked. This person will serve as the liaison between the financial aid office and supervisors.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
This position is responsible for coordinating the university's major scholarship initiatives, determining student eligibility, and counseling students, parents, faculty, and staff regarding scholarships, financial aid opportunities, and navigation of the system. The counselor will continuously evaluate the University's scholarship program identifying opportunities for growth and excellence, while improving the donor and recipient experience.
1. Identify and disseminate scholarship sources (internal/external) suitable for the University's academic environment and students (new/returning).
2. Develop, manage, and maintain scholarship policies, procedures, and operations in collaboration with the Director of Financial Aid to ensure appropriate disbursement and fiscal accountability.
3. Develop marketing literature to promote awareness of scholarship opportunities for students, and scholarships for specific majors.
4. Serve as point of contact for communications with students, parents, counselors and college representatives and train of other staff on basic questions about scholarships. responsible for awarding/posting/reconciling all internal scholarships to students.
5. Monitor student progress to ensure compliance with federal/state/institutional policies, procedures, and regulations.
6. Compile and report metrics on a semester basis to assess the University's performance in awarding institutional and privately funded scholarships.
7. Collaborate with faculty and staff to promote scholarships.
8. Collaborate with IT staff to automate the scholarship application process.
9. Collaborate with Advancement regarding cycle dates, system information accuracy, donor requirements/preferences, etc.
10. Coordinates with vendor for annual maintenance and training opportunities for staff.
11. Package files according to institutional policies.
12. Develop a record tracking system required to ensure continued qualification of students on scholarships.
13. Solicit external scholarships and conduct personalized meetings with students to connect them with external scholarship funding opportunities that align with their academic /career pathway profile.
14. Create trainings from all user standpoints, i.e. students, reviewers, reviewer Chairs, and administrators.
15. Responsible for managing student financial aid applicants
16. Manages a caseload of students based on alphabetical division to ensure equitable distribution of counseling responsibilities.

17. Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Work Study Coordinator: This counselor will be responsible for the work study program from entering contracts, awarding students, tracking payrolls and hours worked. This person will serve as the liaison between the financial aid office and supervisors.

Work schedule may include evenings and weekends as necessary to support enrollment management initiatives, recruitment events, student services, and other departmental operational needs.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and TALENT:
* Effective oral and written communication skills to interact with a broad spectrum of constituencies including donors, community leaders, nonprofit/education representatives, board members, faculty/staff, volunteers, and scholarship recipients.
* Strong organizational skills and attention to detail and accuracy required.
* Proficient computer skills, particularly spreadsheets, and database management.
* Ability to complete multiple assignments within provided time constraints with minimal supervision.
* Self-starter who works well independently, but who also thrives in a team environment, sharing ideas and working collaboratively.
* Excellent analytical, administrative, computer and problem-solving skills.

QUALIFICATIONS and EXPERIENCE:
* Bachelor's Degree; or equivalent combination of training and experience.
Strong customer service with demonstrated ability to build and steward relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
* Professional experience in financial aid and/or scholarship administration as well as experience with program development and management (Preferred)
* Thorough knowledge of federal Title IV regulation and the State of North Carolina program regulations and guidelines (Preferred)

None

This position is subject to the successful completion of an employment background check. An employment background check includes a criminal background check, employment verification, reference checks, license verification (if applicable) and credit history check (if applicable). In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. New employees are paid only by direct deposit to the financial institution of their choice. Candidates claiming Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 as a part of the online application process.

UNC Pembroke is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibits discrimination against all individuals based on their age, race, color, genetic information, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and national origin. UNC Pembroke is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and seeks priority referrals of protected veterans for our openings.