Jobs - Job Details - Financial Aid Officer

Reports To: 

Assistant Director, Financial Aid

Position Status:

Full-Time, Benefited

Posted Pay Range: 

$15.52 - $19.40 per hour

Benefits:

College of Western Idaho values work-life balance.  Taking care of today's needs is as important as planning for the future. Our total compensation for benefited employees, includes health and retirement plans (employer generous contributions), paid time off, opportunities to continue and/or pursue personal development, and much more.  For additional details visit Office of Group Insurance.

About Us:

The College of Western Idaho (CWI) expands learning and life opportunities, encourages individual advancement, contributes to Idaho’s economic growth, strengthens community prosperity, and develops leaders.

We are a comprehensive community college providing higher education programs. We offer a full range of academic and career-technical courses leading to an Associate of Arts or Science degree, Associate of Applied Science degrees, continuing education, and certifications. CWI also offers Basic Skills Education to help prepare for a GED, Dual Credit for high school students, and fast-track career training for working professionals.

At CWI we are proud of our talented and dedicated faculty and staff. Our employees have an opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives every day. We are excited for you to join us and share our passion for higher education.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Financial Aid Operations, the Officer works closely with the Financial Aid Director and Assistant Director as well as a wide variety of other Enrollment & Student Services staff to deliver a full range of financial aid services and counseling to CWI’s students and their families. The Financial Aid Officer will be an experienced customer service professional who participates in all aspects of financial aid administration, counseling, and support. The Officer will provide support to CWI’s One Stop Student Services locations, students, families, and the CWI community.

The Officer is responsible for the daily support services delivered either centrally, or through a CWI One Stop Student Services location and provides expert guidance to other CWI staff, students, and their families. The Officer will provide strong leadership and excellent customer service to the CWI community and will have responsibilities including, but not limited to: needs analysis, verification, packaging financial aid funds from federal, institutional, state, and other sources, counseling/advising students, running reports, applying rules/regulations, public speaking, and fostering a culture of quality and excellence.

Essential Functions:

• Work closely with other student services and enrollment management staff to provide
complete and accurate financial aid information and excellent service to students.
• Provide support to students, parents, or college personnel regarding detailed financial aid
issues above and beyond routine information and processes.
• Keep abreast of federal and state regulations related to financial aid and monitor
compliance with those requirements.
• Review and authorize financial aid awards.
• Maintains up-to-date, expert-level knowledge of applicable policies, procedures,
regulations, rules, statutes and laws. Assists the CWI community in ongoing compliance
efforts.
• Assist students, parents, and other interested parties regarding the types of financial aid
programs available, program requirements and responsibilities, and application
procedures.
• Provides expert guidance to other CWI staff, students, and their families.
• Provides strong leadership and excellent customer service to the CWI community
including, but not limited to: need analysis, verification, packaging financial aid funds from
federal, institutional, state, and other sources, counseling/advising students, running
reports, applying rules/regulations, public speaking, and fostering a culture of quality and
excellence.
• This position requires evening and weekend hours.
• This position is not required to work remotely during non-working hours.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, or 3-4 years direct experience.
• 1-2 years of experience in a college/university financial aid office or similar setting.
• Strong cross-cultural interpersonal and writing skills, including public speaking and ability
to represent the college in a positive way to diverse populations.
• Experience working in a community college setting, serving a diverse, non-traditional
student population, preferred.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague ERP or other major ERP systems, preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English), preferred.

Additional Application Requirements:

Please submit a resume and cover letter along with your employment application.