Financial Aid Counselor

The Financial Aid Counselor is responsible for performing a variety of activities to administer federal and state financial aid funds and institutional scholarship dollars. This individual will be the primary expert and serve as a resource for the following areas: Named and Endowed Awards and Federal/Institutional Work Study Programs. They will serve as support experts in the following areas: Federal and Private Loan Programs, Named and Endowed Awards. In efforts to support the overall recruitment and retention of students to the college, the Financial Aid Counselor will counsel financial aid recipients and their families on eligibility issues, aid application processes, and status issues. They would package student financial aid awards using federal, state, and institutional guidelines. In addition, they would provide office support in tracking the status of workflow and assists with the training of student workers and support staff.
Position is currently located on the San Francisco campus.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Counseling: Enrollment and Retention Support - 50%

• Counsel both prospective and continuing students/families on complex concepts and financial literacy throughout the financial aid process each year (application, disbursement, repayment). 

• Analyze complex student issues pertaining to financial aid involving unusual, sensitive and complex circumstances to facilitate mutually acceptable resolution; provide comprehensive advice and utilize counseling techniques to achieve said resolution.

• Exercise decision making authority to change or adjust financial aid awards to students/applicants with special needs or circumstances.

• Apply expertise in the field to solve and ensure that students are being accurately awarded and receiving their financial aid funds in a timely manner.

• Serve as lead in partnering with Student Accounts and Student Records Offices to counsel in resolving student balances and registration issues.

• Partners with the Admissions Office to review student applicants’ financial need to assist with recruitment and enrollment. 

• Works closely with departments across the College and serves as a Financial Aid expert to other departments to ensure compliance with federal, state, local and institutional regulatory changes.

Operational - 35% 

• Works with HR and Payroll to maintain proper hiring and compensation practices for the Work Study program.

• Partner with Assistant Director of Data Systems- Financial Aid and Advancement Office for budget allocations and awarding of endowment scholarships.

• Maintains compliance and updates policies and procedures as needed based on federal, state and institutional financial aid regulations .

• Defines and solves issues during weekly reviews of Title IV eligibility and disbursements. 

• Partners with Senior Counselor and BSO to ensure monthly reconciliations are completed for Work Study programs.

• Works closely with the Director and Assistant Directors of Financial Aid to maximize effectiveness of the awarding and counseling programs. 

• Works independently in the administration of one or more of the following programs: Federal and Private Loan Programs, Pell Grant Program, Cal Grant Programs, Named and Endowed Awards, or, Federal and Institutional Work-Study programs; including keeping up to date on requirements and regulations, training of staff, serving as a resource for others, and reporting/reconciliation of the program.

• Review and analyze complex financial documents to verify and assess applicant's resources and provide recommendations that impact the students funding eligibility.

• Compiles factual and interpretive information on families income, household size and marital status. Identifies unusual and complex circumstances to meet Federal and Institutional policy; to ensure and maintain compliance in awarding.

• Performs award packaging using federal and institutional need analysis. Reviews financial aid files performing verification of data; resolves discrepancies and items needing clarification. Submits data for reprocessing and performs any necessary documentation and follow-up.

• Updates and manages financial aid portal pages and annual forms.

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Front Lines - 10%

• Handles  routine financial aid inquiries, status inquiries and follow ups in person, phone, or email.

• Frontline receptionist support for the Student Services Office  providing drop-in financial aid counseling sessions and providing general information or forms pertaining to Student Records, Student Accounts, Housing/Dining, and Academic Advising.

Non-Essential Job Function(s) - 5%

• Other duties as assigned by the Director and Assistant Directors of Financial Aid.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• BA required

• 1 year direct experience required, 2-3 years preferred

• Computer proficiency a must, i.e. PC Windows applications: MS Excel, Word. Must demonstrate attention to detail, working with a high degree of accuracy, strong organizational skills, strong record keeping skills,  and the ability to articulate and disseminate complex information to multiple audiences. 

• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills are a must. 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills required. 

• The ability to multi-task with a high level of efficiency and adjust to varying assignments and workloads is a plus.  

• Demonstrate ability to work independently and self-initiate general responsibilities, but also work in a team environment.

• At least 1 year of experience in a financial aid office or a higher education setting; knowledge of Federal Title IV and state financial aid requirements; familiarity with needs analysis methodology, application, and verification process; knowledge of financial aid software and tools, including CSAC Web Grants, NSLDS; experience with integrated student information systems (Workday). Strong preference for Bilingual speakers.

Please note that in an effort to keep the CCA community safe, the College requires all staff, faculty, and students who are on campus to be fully vaccinated, including to have received a booster shot (if eligible). The job responsibilities of this position will require time regularly spent on campus, and therefore the incumbent will be asked to follow the CCA vaccination requirement, unless an exemption is approved. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS :

• The range for the position is $26.00 - $29.23 per hour.

• CCA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including the choice of five medical plans, generous holiday, sick & vacation time, a retirement match and tuition remission. CCA covers an average of 91% of the medical plan cost for the employee only and an average of 82% for employees with dependents. More information can be found here: https://portal.cca.edu/working/office-human-resources/employee-benefits .

POSITION DETAILS :

• CCA considers a full-time work week to be 37.5 hours per week.

• Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am-4:30pm

• Work Mode: Hybrid

• This position is covered under the staff union collective bargaining agreement and will be required to contribute to union dues/agency fees.

• This position requires successful completion of a background check.

Location

San Francisco

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Additional Locations

Application Instructions

Applicants are required to attach a cover letter and resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF.  If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. There is also a place in the application for you to provide a link to large documents. Please submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions.

Application Deadline

For staff positions, screening begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.

EEO Statement

As an educational and cultural institution, California College of the Arts has a responsibility to provide access and opportunities for all people, with special attention to supporting groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

We believe that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence, and our student, faculty, staff, and trustee bodies should reflect the diverse world in which we live, with attention to race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability.

California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity. In alignment with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment. If a background check is required for a position, it will be noted in the job posting.

Questions?

Please address any questions to [email protected] .