Career Paths in Financial Aid

1. Career Paths in Financial Aid Monday, January 25 Presented by: OASFAA Mentor Group Protégés: Helen Faith, Russell Seidelman, Carlos Villarroel, & Kristin Welsch Mentors: Valerie Karnes & Robert Rodgers

2. OASFAA Mentor/Protégé Program • Pilot project; pilot year • Applications submitted to OASFAA and individuals were chosen to participate • All groups met in Salem June 2009 for orientation • Presentation by mentoring consultant; group activities • Protégés met their mentors and decided on a project to work on together as a group • Our group met twice in person, in addition to email, to work on our OASFAA conference presentation

3. Who are you and where did you come from? • How long have you been in Financial Aid? • How did you get your start? • …if you’ve been here more than 6 months, you are here for life!

4. Career Paths in Financial Aid • Financial Aid Specialist/Administrative Assistant • Financial Aid Advisor/Counselor • Senior Financial Aid Officer • Assistant/Associate Director of Financial Aid • Director of Financial Aid • Lender/Guarantor Representative • Organizational Charts

5. Financial Aid Specialist/Administrative Assistant Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Call centers • Customer service • Billing • Recent college graduate • Former work study student • Transfer from another department at college • Prior customer service experience • 1 year experience in the Financial Aid department • HS Diploma; Associates and/or Bachelor’s preferred

6. Financial Aid Specialist/Administrative Assistant Skill Set Job Description • Computer proficiency (MS Office, specialized database systems, or comparable software/systems) • Organized, detail-oriented and able to multitask • Effectively communicates with diverse populations • Influences staff to be excited, enthused, and committed to furthering the college's objectives. • Primary contact for answering Financial Aid emails and phone messages • Ensures front counter phone coverage during office hours • Delegates or performs office duties as appropriate which include filing, emails, updating student files, etc… • Offers quality customer service to our students, their families and other offices on and off campus • Supervises and helps train new student employees

7. Financial Aid Advisor/Counselor Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Admissions, Registrars, Student Accounts, and/or other offices on campus • Higher Education • Alternative Loans • Accounting • Banking • Scholarships • Working knowledge of Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid • Supervisory experience • Experience speaking in front of large and small groups • Program management • Experience working with large databases • Bachelor’s preferred

8. Financial Aid Advisor/Counselor Skill Set Job Description • Customer service • Problem solving • Dispute resolution • Microsoft Office; general computer literacy • Strong analytical skills • Organizational and time management skills • Written and oral communication skills • Adaptability/Flexibility • Interpersonal skills • Self-Directed • All activities related to processing financial aid files • Counseling/outreach • Supervisory duties • Maintain working relationships with co-workers, other departments on campus and in the community • Professional development • Evenings and weekends, as needed

9. Senior Financial Aid Officer Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Financial Aid Advisor/Counselor • Admissions, Registrars, Student Accounts, and/or other offices on campus • Higher Education • Alternative Loans • Accounting • Banking • Scholarships • Two or more years of solid experience in financial aid or student accounts preferably in a post-secondary institution • Advanced knowledge of Federal, State, or commercial loan packages • Bachelor's degree preferred

10. Senior Financial Aid Officer Skill Set Job Description • Strong interpersonal skills • Organizational and problem resolution skills • Ability to interact effectively as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments • Ability to listen to customers (e.g. students, staff, etc.) and to understand and respond positively to their requests • Ability to work without close supervision • Meets all the Key Job Elements within the Financial Aid Officer job description • Act as a resource for training new Financial Aid Officers • Be available for school committee work and to help out in all functions of financial aid office • Assist with operations management of payment process • Available for special projects

11. Assistant/Associate Director of Financial Aid Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Mortgage; Finance • Business office; Accounting; Bookkeeping • Student Affairs; Student Services • Public Administration • Financial Aid Advisor/Counselor • 3-5 years in the Financial Aid field • Supervisory experience • Demonstrated progressive leadership role and responsibilities • Program management, i.e. Pell grants, Co-enrollment, R2T4 • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred

12. Assistant/Associate Director of Financial Aid Skill Set Job Description • Detailed oriented, ability to effectively manage shifting priorities • Excellent oral and written communication skills; strong interpersonal skills, conflict resolution • Strong knowledge of Title IV and state regulations, policy interpretation, implementation and compliance • Ability to exercise judgment and independent action within prescribed limits • High integrity level • Reports to the Director of Financial Aid and has primary responsibility to assist the Director in the overall management, operation, and supervision of the Office • Serves as direct supervisor to all subordinate members of the Office in the absence of the Director and assumes the Director's duties in his/her absence • Is the first point of contact for students with complex issues regarding their financial aid package, verification, satisfactory progress, or other concerns

13. Director of Financial Aid Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Associate/Assistant Director • Student Loan representative • Guarantor of servicing agent • Other enrollment management offices on campus • Five or more years in a supervisory role within a Financial Aid office • Significant experience in Financial Aid including progressive responsibility and demonstrated ability to develop and implement financial aid programs • Master’s degree (preferred at most schools) or equivalent combination of education and experience

14. Director of Financial Aid Skill Set • Knowledge of financial aid and enrollment trends, reporting, modeling, and best practices • Knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, student employment programs, needs analysis and packaging principles, and financial aid programs • Ability to focus on areas of concern to assure corrective action • Demonstrated ability to communicate persuasively, orally and in writing, and to effectively present financial aid information to a variety of audiences • Leadership experience at a comprehensive university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees to undergraduate, graduate and other adult students • A management style that is accessible, collaborative and service oriented with the ability to lead diverse groups • Unquestionable integrity and a strong sense of professional ethics that demonstrate mutual trust and respect  • Ability to assist the University with the short-term and long-term strategic planning

15. Director of Financial Aid Job Description • Responsible for managing all financial aid activities. • Managing financial aid administrative staff • Fulfilling department goals and objectives • Scheduling student payments, and completing student’s financial aid packaging • Ensuring school compliance, regulations, and policies • Directing and participating in financial aid planning as requested • Monitoring methods of evaluating financial aid performance • Maintaining student files per applicable laws and regulations • Primary responsibility within the school for administering all Title IV, and alternative funding programs in cooperation with third-party Financial Aid Servicers • Maintains close relationship with the Director of Admissions and other departments across campus to ensure best practices are upheld across all functions • Manage the departmental budget as dictated by the University • Provide ongoing mentoring and training to staff

16. Lender/Guarantor Representative Previous Related Fields Résumé/Work Experience • Financial Aid officer • Other lender/guarantor functions • Customer Service • Outreach • Relationship management and/or relationship development experience • Sales and/or marketing experience • Financial aid experience preferably with strong knowledge of various loan programs and processes • Outreach experience • Financial aid association involvement

17. Lender/Guarantor Representative Skill Set Job Description • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal • Presentations skills • Strong computer skills: proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, etc. • Problem resolution skills • Self-motivated with ability to work with minimal supervision and remain organized and effective • Presents an organization’s products and services to keep the organization visible with financial aid administrators • Builds relationships with schools’ key decision makers and staff  • Provide training to various populations • Knowledgeable of the features and requirements of private and government loan programs and general knowledge of financial aid

18. University of Western Statesformerly Western States Chiropractic College

19. University of Portland

20. Art Institute of Portland

21. Oregon State University

22. Portland State University

23. THANK YOU Questions/Comments?