The Associate Financial Aid Advisor role is designed to be an onboarding position where new hires will learn, with guidance and support, the necessary competencies and behaviors required to be successful in the FA Advisor position. Successful Associate FA Advisors are expected to advance to the FA Advisor position.

The Associate FA Advisor is responsible for providing personalized interactions to assist students/learners in successfully navigating the financing process to achieve their educational goals.

The Associate FA Advisor serves as the primary contact for students/learners from matriculation through the completion of their program for all things financing related. The Associate FA Advisor works with students/learners by coaching, motivating, mentoring, partnering on issue resolution, and guiding document completion and progress. They help students/learners clarify key decision-points and identify solutions and alternatives related to their educational funding which align with the students/learners motivations and goals. The Associate FA Advisor utilizes strong relationship-building skills resulting in positive students/learners behaviors and outcomes, contributing to overall students/learners success and persistence.

The Associate FA Advisor will provide outreach at key milestones based on identified behaviors throughout students/learners programs to keep them on track and to assist with overcoming obstacles they may encounter for any method of payment used in financing their education. Each interaction includes exploration of needs and provides personalized solutions to students/learners to successfully accomplish their educational goals.

The Associate FA Advisor also works with other University partners to address students/learners concerns and to collaboratively define options to help students/learners overcome obstacles and maintain financial readiness throughout their program.

This position will work 4 day a week 9:30am - 6pm CST, 1 day a week 11:30am - 8pm CST. As well as 1-2 Saturdays per quarter.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Financial Planning & Engagement:
  • Provide students/learners with a positive experience, personal attention, and guidance through the financing process.
  • Proactively identify current and/or future financing roadblocks with students/learners and work with them on potential solutions.
  • Assist students/learners in understanding and utilizing their financing plan to identify gaps in funding and borrowing rate, enable the most direct path to completion, and align with their educational and career goals.
  • Leverage tools, systems and software applications to optimize engagement.
  • Utilize work triggers and outreach protocols to drive purpose-driven and transformational conversations.
  • Help students/learners navigate changes in their programs and financing plans.
  • Assess students/learners needs in order to help them make fully informed decisions about their financing choices.
  • Advocate on students/learners behalf for exceptions to policies as applicable.
  • Provide financial literacy including but not limited to, responsible borrowing and repayment requirements of federal loans, consequences of non payment, disclosures for any type of method of payment.
• Financial Monitoring & Risk Mitigation:
  • Proactive outreach to students/learners identified as at-risk, including but not limited to, federal aid verification needs, method of payment eligibility changes, method of payment changes, account balances, pace of progress and impacts to methods of payment, gaps in funding.
  • Highlight and address potential barriers that may impact persistence, success and completion.
  • Encourage students/learners to develop skills and abilities in direct resolution of challenges and issues; coordinate with internal partners to seek resolution of students/learners issues where applicable.
  • Partner with FA Advisors and Senior FA Advisors in handling escalated students/learners situations and supporting conflict resolution.
• Communication & Interaction:
  • Take ownership of students/learners issues and work collaboratively with internal partners to identify resolutions.
  • Interact with empathy and students/learners experience at the forefront of all students/learners interactions by demonstrating University call framework.
  • Build strong one to one relationships with students/learners with a consultative approach to interactions.
  • Respond to the students/learners via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to: phone (inbound and outbound), text, email, and casework.
  • Maintain appropriate and accurate documentation of all students/learners interactions in accordance with departmental best practices.
• Policy & Process Expertise:
  • Monitor and communicate trends impacting students/learners persistence, success, and completion; discuss obstacles and challenges to the students/learners.
  • Proactively and respectfully identify and provide insight into process and policy opportunities and gaps. Participate in creating solutions in partnership with the key stakeholders once areas of improvement are identified.
  • Adhere to and enforce standardized policy and procedures related to students/learners account collection and billing activity.
  • Negotiate repayment schedules based on students/learners financial situations.
  • Work with FA Representatives to process payments, update students/learners records, and accurately complete accompanying procedures.
  • Speak to various outside entity policies that impact learner financing.
• Goals, Projects & Initiatives:
  • Participate in projects or initiatives that support departmental goals.
  • Identify, communicate, and make recommendations for improvement to existing processes/procedures for the benefit of our students/learners.
• Training & Professional Development:
  • Participate in departmental and cross functional training.
  • Participate in mentor/team/department/company trainings and meetings.
  • Review resources, updates, and communications to remain current in specific job duties and University policies.

Job Skills:

• Ability to understand key metrics and utilize self-service reporting and tools to monitor and share data.
• Ability to drive results in a team-based environment.
• Ability to influence positive students/learners behaviors and outcomes.
• Fundamental understanding of business priorities to successfully balance students/learners and University needs.
• Ability to exercise discretion and ethical judgment in responding to complex students/learners situations.
• Ability to respond positively, adapt quickly, and thrive in a fast-paced, changing professional environment
• Ability to innovate with the purpose of accomplishing key objectives. Willing to take risks.
• Ability to think critically in order to build plans of action and personalized solutions.
• Comfortable representing policies and regulations of federal financial aid, requiring in-depth, specialized knowledge.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to prioritize the needs of the students/learners, and commitment to providing an excellent students/learner’s experience.
• Ability to form positive working relationships, foster effective team atmosphere and promote a collaborative environment with the students/learners, staff and leadership.
• Ability to develop trust and hold others accountable to commitments.
• Ability to maintain departmental guidelines for interacting with and responding to students/learners and University stakeholders.
• Ability to manage time effectively by prioritizing and evaluating work to manage a variety of daily activities.
• Ability to self-direct and follow through on assigned tasks while working both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to maintain best practices for students/learners’ interaction: Each interaction involves discovering needs, understanding the situation, recommending options and customized solutions, determining a way forward, and always engaging and listening to the needs of the l students/learners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate through a variety of channels/systems.
• Ability to evaluate and learn new computer software applications quickly.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook.

Work Experience:

• 1+ years of previous financial aid experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Other:

• Must be able to travel 10% of time.
• Must be able to lift 10lbs.
• Typical office setting.
• Mobility within the office including movement from floor to floor.
• Travel via plane, car, and metro may be required to perform this job.
• Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant
• Access information using a computer.
• Effectively communicate, both up and down the management chain.
• Effectively cope with stressful situations
• Strong mental acuity
• Regular, dependable attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this job.

• Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.