Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Specialist provides personal and financial aid application counseling to students and parents; assists in the administration of the financial aid program; makes decisions to award funds to students eligible for scholarships, grants, and college work-study; responsible for auditing and reconciling financial aid accounts and packaging financial aid awards; responsible for the dissemination of information for student financial assistance through face to face, email, and phone counseling.

• Advise and counsel students and parents regarding the financial aid process
• Provide in-take services, taking student/parent phone calls, responding to email, assisting visitors within the office
• Analyze and evaluates student financial needs, and advises on availability of financial assistance
• Monitor and coordinate the processing of verification and certification changes needed due to eligibility changes resulting from FAFSA data changes
• Develop and maintain strong working knowledge of all federal, state, and University student aid regulations, policies, and procedures
• Responsible for awarding, monitoring, and oversight of federal, state and university student aid
• Work with the Office of Student Aid's Application and Eligibility Services staff to monitor both eligibility and review aid processes
• Collaborate with other campus aid representatives, University personnel and outside agencies in the administration of aid applicants' verification and certification eligibility reviews programs
• May serve as the School Certifying Official, the primary point of contact for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits; process and maintain VA certification operations in compliance with federal and university policies

Level:

– Principal Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Displays mastery of defined skill areas/applications, principles, theories and practices. Evaluates and enhances existing practices. Recognizes emerging trends in area of expertise. Works independently on complex or strategic assignments. Directs and delegates appropriate tasks to others. Implements strategies to ensure achievement of initiatives. Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and deliver to broad audiences. Identifies and implements innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Indirect supervisor for other full–time employees
– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers, volunteers, or a full–time employee

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Validates and pays invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets and funding
– May plan and forecast budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters complex and novel problems
– Applies policies, practices, specialized knowledge, and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations, and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices as guidelines as well as working knowledge to determine specific work methods
– Carries out work activities independently, with supervisor available to resolve problems
– Reviews work of others to verify technical soundness

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and area leads across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 9
• Minimum – $56,200.00
• MidPoint – $68,800.00
• Maximum – $81,500.00