3550 Financial Aid Technician

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Financial Aid Technician

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 3550

GRADE 13

CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Varies

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Director of Student Financial Aid

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Financial Aid Technician performs complex, responsible work in administering an aspect of services or products offered thorough the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Financial Aid Technician monitors eligibility status, makes adjustments and corrections to reflect changes, and applies policy to specific situations. The Financial Aid Technician exercises a significant amount of independent judgment and discretion in decision making.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A high school diploma or the equivalent is required.

Experience: At least four years of responsible office clerical experience is required. However, specialized training or education beyond high school which includes knowledge of general office procedures and the skills required for the position may be substituted for two of the four years of required work experience. Experience requiring the administration of complex processes and the independent decision-making is preferred.

Skills: Computer literacy in the use of personal computers and/or mainframe computers is required and includes keyboarding ability and a functional knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, data entry, or database management. Strong written and verbal communication skills; the ability to operate electronic, photocopier or other standard office machines, maintain complex filing systems and records, and make arithmetic calculations and reconcile records are required. Supervisory skills and the ability to train and review the work of others are required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Effort: Clerical positions are primarily sedentary. Clerical positions require keyboarding on a daily basis, which may be extensive at times.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Administers a service or product of the Student Financial Aid program by having a thorough understanding of applicable rules, laws, policies and applying that knowledge to day-to-day administration of the program, establishing internal policies and procedures for all programs administered, and developing and maintaining all paper documents and web-based documents pertaining to Consortium and off-campus degree completion programs.

2. Assures compliance with applicable regulations, laws, and policies by monitoring eligibility constraints, reviewing processing for errors, resolving discrepancies, and making adjustments, corrections, and modifications.

3. Facilitates the delivery of financial aid to eligible students by evaluating eligibility variables, corresponding with and advising students in regard to their financial aid eligibility as it pertains to the specific program, and making awards and disbursements.

4. Limits the liability of Missouri State University to loss from errors or omissions by creating and maintaining appropriate records and performing appropriate bookkeeping functions.

5. Facilitates communication with various agencies by using software and database systems to create, modify, extract, transmit, receive, and maintain financial aid records.

6. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

7. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as required by the Director of Financial Aid.

8. Contributes to the overall success of the Office of Student Financial Aid by performing all other duties as required.

SUPERVISION

The Financial Aid Technician is supervised by the designated supervisor and may supervise part time and student employees.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JANUARY 2017

JOB FAMILY 1

Factor 1: Educational/Experience Requirements of the Job

Level 5.0 - 680 Points: A combination of education and experience equivalent to a Level 5 as indicated by the Equivalencies Chart, when permitted by the Minimum Acceptable Qualifications.

Factor 2: Complexity and Technical Mastery

Level 4.0 - 370 Points: In addition to considerable skill in oral and written communication, the ability to make basic mathematical calculations, the ability to understand and follow instructions, knowledge of moderately complex or other work procedures, and the ability to work independently and coordinate a variety of activities and events, the job requires specific professional skills and/or skills in managing a wide variety of complex processes.

Factor 3: Responsibility for the Work of Others

Level 2.0 - 30 Points: Occasional responsibility to direct the work of one or more student workers and/or temporary part-time workers. The requirement to supervise others is not a regular job duty, but may occur on an intermittent or irregular basis. The nature of the required supervision is largely confined to assigning work or tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities.

Factor 4: Guidelines

Level 2.0 - 130 Points: The work generally involves sequential steps and methods explained by the supervisor and/or described by specific guidelines such as standard operating procedures, handbooks, and/or reference manuals exist. Tasks are relatively clear-cut and involve related steps, processes, and methods. The employee may be required to recognize differences in a variety of situations, but those differences are normally clear and require the selection of standard processes to resolve. The number and similarity of guidelines and work situations requires the employee to use judgment in locating and selecting the most appropriate guidelines, references, and procedures for application and in making minor deviations to adapt guidelines in specific cases. Situations to which the existing guidelines cannot be applied or proposed deviations from the guidelines are referred to a supervisor.

Factor 5: Contacts

Level 3.0 - 105 Points: The purpose of contacts is to advise or counsel students or the general public, or to plan or coordinate work efforts with other employees who are working toward common goals and where relationships are generally cooperative. Contacts are moderately structured and routine.

Factor 6: Work Impact

Level 4.0 - 475 Points: Work activities normally address conventional problems or situations with established methods to supply other employees with information, services, or products they use to perform their work. Work products or services facilitate the work of other employees and directly affects the ability of other employees to timely complete specific tasks or processes. Work activities may affect the quality of services provided to moderate numbers of employees, students, or the public, and the services, information, or products provided have significant effects on the welfare of the affected groups.

Factor 7: Physical Effort and Work Environment

Level 1.0 - 25 Points: The work environment consists of exposure to physical conditions typical of a normal office environment. Most of the job is performed while sitting, although the work may require occasional standing or walking and/or the lifting and carrying of small objects.