Financial Aid Advisor - Financial Aid and Eligibility

Department

Financial Aid

Position Summary

The Enrollment Management Division at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) brings together the functions of Admissions, Registrar, Testing Center, Orientation, and Financial Aid offices. Together, we recruit, admit and support current undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds. Our offices strive to support every student with quality and intentional services during their college career.

Our vision is rooted in a commitment to attract, enroll, retain, and graduate an empowered student body. We are a student-centered, evidence-based, technology-driven division that collaborates with internal and external partners to support the university’s mission and commitment to access, academic quality, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Financial Aid Advisor develops a thorough knowledge of federal, state, and institutional financial aid topics to counsel students and parents about receiving financial aid at MSU Denver. The Financial Aid Advisor also administers a student portfolio to ensure timely processing Verification, C-Codes, Professional Judgement and Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals, Dependency Overrides, R2T4, loan processing and other key processes to help students finance their education. The Enrollment Management Division supports and engages in Anti-Racism efforts to increase equity and access to an MSU Denver education.

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Duties/Responsibilities

Provides professional advising services:

• The Financial Aid Advisor works with prospective students and their families, continuing students, and members of the MSU Denver community to understand the financial aid process, eligibility, need analysis, awards, disbursement, federal/state institutional policy, and the rights and responsibilities of receiving financial aid.
• Requires a thorough knowledge of financial aid topics including but not limited to: cost of attendance, federal need analysis, award packaging, type of aid offered, how to apply for outside scholarships, receiving outside resources, payment options, completing loan applications, loan certification, billing, disbursement dates, reapplying for aid, withdrawals, satisfactory academic progress, timelines/dates, financial aid policy and procedures, and the responsibility of receiving financial aid.
• Routinely deals with problems and issues of a highly sensitive financial and personal nature, and therefore must exhibit independent judgment, tact and diplomacy, maintain strict confidentiality, and adhere to data sharing regulations. Maintain active, positive relationships with the graduate departments on campus. Participate in financial aid and scholarship outreach events, FAFSA completion events and other on- and off-campus outreach events.
• Financial Aid Advisors are catalysts in supporting students with the financial aid process through various channels, including in person, email, and on the phone. Financial Aid Advisors are expected to support the front desk overflow, including incoming document management.

Determining financial aid eligibility:

• Assesses the student’s ability to pay for education expenses by evaluating income and household reported on the FAFSA or CASFA, federal tax returns, and other financial documents. Must be able to explain complex financial aid calculations and the results and rationale behind financial aid awarding in a simple and easy to understand manner to students. When requested the Financial Aid Advisor assesses documented changes in financial circumstances that occur in a student’s situation during the course of an academic year and exercises professional judgment in making adjustments to data elements in the formula that determines the student’s ability to pay for the cost of attendance. Problem solving for aid applicants include reviewing Professional Judgement and Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals, resolving FAFSA comment codes and rejects, verification review, packaging aid revisions, adjusting student budgets, correcting over awards.

Evaluating and identifying issues and problem-solving student application data discrepancies:

• Problem solving for aid applicants include resolving FAFSA comment codes and rejects, verification and file review, packaging aid revisions, adjusting student budgets, correcting over awards, professional judgment appeals, monitoring students satisfactory academic progress.

Continues professional development:

• The Financial Aid Advisor must actively keep up to date on state and federal regulations as well as internal policies a