Financial Aid Counselor - Support Specialist

Under the direction of the Assistant Director of Financial Aid, the Financial Aid Counselor must provide quality customer service to prospective, and continuing students regarding financial aid eligibility, analyze federal financial aid applications to determine a student's financial need, prepare and award financial aid packages, and perform all duties related to the financial aid process. Counselors must interact in a professional manner with students and parents in challenging situations to help them resolve financial issues relating to financial aid eligibility and monetary awards.

• Advise students and parents regarding financing an education at the University, including information about financial aid eligibility, application procedures, available financial aid programs, costs and financial management strategies including loans, financing options, and other financial-aid related matters. Manage heavy contact with students and families via email, phone, and in-person. Provide outstanding customer service, while demonstrating patience and understanding, to families and students who are seeking and receive financial aid. Work effectively in a diverse work environment with people from different socio-economic backgrounds and cultures. Must be able to maintain confidentiality of private, personal information provided by students and their families.
• Responsible for the University Federal Verification Process
  • Verification outreach and follow up to ensure compliance
  • Conducts verification review for selected students according to federal regulations
• Utilize databases to gather student information and create and modify awards. Enter and maintain accurate data within computerized systems for tracking and awarding. Prepare and maintain a variety of narrative and statistical reports, records, and files related to assigned activities.
• Serve as back up support for File loading and troubleshooting
  • Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs)
  • Federal Direct Loan program
  • Federal Pell Grant program
  • NSLDS
• Master Promissory Note (MPN) & Entrance Counseling (EC) outreach and follow up
• Private loan processing
• Process Missing information / documentation letters
• New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) outreach
  • follow up with students who have not completed the ETA, missing information, etc.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Notify students not meeting federal Satisfactory Academic Progress. 
  • Counsel and advise students concerning SAP policies and appeal procedures
  • Monitor the probation/suspension status and the 150%-time frame for students.
• Generate reports and/or queries from Peoplesoft, analyze and organize output and distribute to staff as needed.
• Participate in recruitment and retention functions (new student orientations, Admitted Student days, Open House, Move in Weekends, Last Look Weekend, etc.) which includes evenings and weekends.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned

Required Experience

• Ability to establish and maintain effective and productive working relationships within a diverse and inclusive environment
• Ability to work under pressure without direct supervision and to remain calm and professional in emotionally charged situations
• 1-3 years customer service experience, preferably in a higher education environment
• Minimum of Associate Degree
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate sensitive and/or complex information in a confidential and straightforward manner
• Must be a creative problem solver
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office and experienced in financial database systems (Peoplesoft)
• Must possess a high level of accuracy, self-motivation, strong attention to detail, and the ability to handle a heavy workload
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to organize and prioritize multiple complex projects and tasks simultaneously
• Demonstrated service aptitude and ability to work independently as well as with students, parents, and colleagues.
• Must be able to work additional hours when necessary

About Iona University/EEO language

 Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, nursing, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona's LaPenta School of Business is also accredited AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide.

Iona offers a comprehensive benefits package to all full-time employees that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; life insurance; short and long-term disability; employee assistance program (EAP); tuition remission; and generous time off. For more information on our benefits and working at Iona visit the Human Resources section of our website.

Iona University values and celebrates diversity and is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our employees and does not tolerate discrimination based on any legally protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local laws. As an equal opportunity employer, Iona University encourages applications from qualified candidates who reflect the wider world in which we live, and in particular from historically underrepresented groups.