Scholarship Coordinator

Job Purpose

To work directly with the Director of Business Support in developing strategic recommendations in relation to tuition fee discounting and scholarships to support the delivery of the University’s very ambitious student recruitment and income targets.

Provide specialist support to the Director of Business Support in designing enhancements to current systems/processes, practises, and policies by delivering solutions to optimize service delivery of tuition fee discounting and scholarships, to provide a world class student experience and ensure excellent customer service is core to all team activities.

Responsible for implementing all Partnership & Sponsor tuition fee discount agreements, from the point of application to student enrolment for a range of partnerships and collaborations with key higher education institutions, agents, government ministries and agencies.

Responsible for the day-to-day management of all undergraduate and postgraduate taught recruitment and conversion scholarship schemes, providing professional expertise and guidance to colleagues across the University at all levels on the development of new and existing scholarship schemes, ensuring selection and decision-making processes are transparent and in line with strategic priorities

Represent the University at Open Days and Applicants Visit Days, providing information, advice and guidance to potential applicants on scholarships and funding opportunities at all levels of study.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Process Management and Control

• Take a key role in the operational management of scholarships to support the design and delivery of solutions to maximise quality, efficiency and continuity of systems, tools, strategies and procedures in line with institutional strategy and KPIs. This will involve collaboration with specialist colleagues across the University and our partners. Exercise considerable initiative and judgement to resolve operational issues.

• Keep abreast of legislative and policy changes, which may impact scholarships practices and procedures and maintain associated documentation/processes

• Design and develop appropriate scholarship selection and review processes for new and existing scholarship schemes. Devising and reviewing applications in line with legislation and compliance parameters that govern bursaries and scholarships practice and policy, ensuring fairness and transparency including immigration status documentation. Implement selective scholarship processes and communicate recommendations and updates to Schools and Colleges.

• Design service improvements to enhance student experience and ensure ongoing maintenance, review and updates of all External Relations Financial Aid process enhancements. Oversee updating of student accounts with scholarship awards, ensure efficiency and continuity in accurate tuition fee liability to allow students to complete registration and to commence study.

• Develop and maintain operational process maps for team members to execute processes related to the applicant journey: initial assessment (including eligibility), selection (including assessment of academic and non-academic qualifications), reviewing of supporting documents (personal statements, references, research/work experience, household income, confirmation of state benefits), decision processing and accurate recording of the basis of scholarship offer (fee status, high quality applicant status, financial need), acceptance and deposit confirmation processes, internal reporting, sponsor note for CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) issuance and verification of all aspects of the scholarship offer.

2. Decision Making

• Personal decision-making responsibility for several different scholarship schemes with varying application processes and agreed criteria. Apply a significant amount of professional judgement in reviewing a broad range of applications with different academic standards, budgetary considerations, and institutional targets. Manage numbers to target, focusing on quality and diversity of intakes.

• Take a lead in developing marketing materials and in ensuring all frontline communication such as webpages, applicant communications and publications, provide customers with clear and accurate information relating to scholarship schemes’ terms and conditions and privacy notices (including application and assessment process) in line with GDPR guidelines.

• Provide expert support on tuition fee discounts to colleagues within External Relations and the institution. Review tuition fee discount awarding, investigate complaints and FOI requests, identify areas for training, develop training guides and manuals adapting to tuition fee discounting developments, and deliver training to relevant staff.

3. Reporting

• Create and maintain appropriate reporting tools to assess the efficiency of scholarship schemes, to conduct statistical and trend analysis in relation to scholarship conversion and to recommend the development of future tuition fee related discounts and policies.

• Contribute to the research and collation of material for inclusion scholarship reports and papers, for Schools, University Committees, Colleges and SMG as required.

• Provide academic progress reports for FCDO scholarships

4. Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders in Schools, Colleges, University Services and colleagues across External Relations. Maintain relationships with key external stakeholders (UK and international HEIs), government ministries (both UK and international), agencies and high-level sponsorship bodies. Ensure that all stakeholders are well-informed regarding scholarship progress and future scholarship developments.

• Act as institutional contact for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, oversee and collate scholarship funding bids. Equip the responsible colleagues with knowledge required to resolve Commonwealth and Chevening scholar queries where appropriate

• Represent External Relations on University wide committees such as the Specialist User Group (SUG) – MyCampus Student Financials, Registration and Enrolment Operations Group (REOG) and the University at UG & PG Open Days and Applicants Visit Days.

5. Other

Deputise for the Director of Business Support as appropriate and undertake new Scholarships and Tuition Fee Discounts related responsibilities, projects, tasks as directed by the Director of Business Support.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1. Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills through personal development and progression in a similar related role(s); OR Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 8 (Scottish Vocational Qualification 4, Higher National Diploma or equivalent), and experience of personal development in a similar role.

A2. Some knowledge and understanding of UK Visas and Immigration and Sponsorship management system.

A3. Knowledge and understanding of the principles of student support and the role of scholarships.

Desirable:

B1. Detailed operational knowledge of the University student information system, MyCampus: Student Records, Student Admissions and Student Financials & Financial Aid.

B2. Knowledge of legislation and compliance parameters that govern bursaries and scholarships practice and policy.

B3. Knowledge of University policy, practice, and procedures, and the wider HE sector/external awareness.

Skills

Essential:
C1. Ability to work independently on own initiative and/or part of a team.

C2. Ability to conduct own research to evaluate academic and non-academic qualifications.

C3. Ability to manage resource to operationalise Tuition fee discounting and scholarships policy and processes to meet ambitious KPI targets and turnaround times.

C4. Excellent presentation and communication skills to allow complex datasets and outcomes to be clearly communicated to internal and external stakeholders.

C5. Well-developed IT skills: in the use of Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, database management and input and bespoke databases.

C6. Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills to communicate in simple terms material of highly technical nature both orally and in writing, and the ability to deal with complaints and varied data requests in a polite and professional manner.

C7. Excellent analytical and problem skills with the ability to apply logical and methodical approaches to solving problems encountered.

Experience

Essential:

E1. Extensive experience of managing and overseeing complex processes.

E2. Experience of working independently and resolving unforeseen issues and challenges undertaking tasks in a timely manner and to an acceptable standard.

E3. Demonstrable experience applying initiative, judgement and discretion to resolve problems and challenges independently.

E4. Experience of planning and progressing work activities within professional guidelines or organisational policy, applying initiative and independent judgement.

E5. Experience of supervising a team of professionals and managing complex systems and processes in a high pressure, high volume environment.

E6. Experience of designing and delivering training materials.

E7. Experience in liaising with colleagues from across the broad range of Higher Education professionals including Academic colleagues.

Desirable:

F1. Experience of assessing university applications.

F2. Experience of working with the University student information systems.

F3. Experience of the HE sector and an understating of the legislation and compliance parameters that govern bursaries and scholarships practice and policy.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 6, £32,332 - £36,024 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and fixed term until 31 March 2026 in the first instance.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

3 A flexible approach to working.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community

https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/

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