Financial Aid Coach

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**Student Support**:
Financial Aid coaching requires sensitivity and active listening skills, along with the ability to question without judgement, especially when working with students who are discouraged or have identified personal and financial barriers to reaching their academic goals.
- Coach students on an individual basis and in group sessions on financial aid matters, bursaries, budgeting and personal financial management by asking probing questions and providing a range of options and possible outcomes.
- Review and assess conditions for students with immediate financial challenges and accommodate through tuition fee deferrals, food or book vouchers, emergency bursaries or referral to extremal financial supports.
- Determine student eligibility for internal, external and government scholarships and grants.
- Coach and advise students on non-routine financial aid and appeal cases, assisting in the preparation for submission and reviewing of documentation for acceptability
- Review and makes decisions on OSAP and bursary appeal cases that are within the authority of the Financial Aid Office.
- Provide budget coaching to clients and when appropriate refer to outside sources of financial assistance programs.
- Plan, promote and execute financial aid activities that support recruitment, retention, and individual financial literacy of students.
- Work with academic advisors to support retention and continued financial support of at-risk students.
- Provide proactive support to individuals in distress to prevent physical or mental injury or harm. Make referrals to appropriate DC or external services and supports.
- Coach students on repayment options available to student borrowers, repayment assistance programs and on maintaining good standing on outstanding loan debt.

**Administrative and Records management**:

- Make case notes after client meetings where appropriate
- Enter and maintain Student OSAP records via Ministry and DC on-line systems.
- Identify and request missing information for file changes
- Review and update OSAP cost codes for new programs, additional program offerings, or program of study changes.

**Verification of and release of funding**:

- Verify the accuracy of financial aid entitlements
- Analyze and verify student registration, academic status, academic progress and eligibility for student aid programs
- Approve distribution of financial aid loans, grants and bursaries in compliance with Ministry Policies.
- Work and verify multiple queues within the OSAP system that support the accuracy, eligibility, assessment and release of government aid funding.
- Evaluates and reports academic progress resulting from withdrawals, failures, drops in course load, and multiple program changes.

**Marketing, Presentations and Workshops**:

- Develop, implement and deliver educational workshops regarding OSAP and alternative financial aid programs to students, parents, teachers, counsellors and external community agencies.
- Deliver OSAP repayment seminars and provide education to students to proactively manage OSAP default.
- Provide individual and group budgeting sessions to coach students on financial management skills
- Compose and edit material for print, web, and electronic publication
- Represent Financial Aid & Awards at student outreach activities such as, college open houses, program information and orientation days

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- A minimum of a three-year advanced diploma or degree in Business or related discipline.
- A minimum of five (5) years of related work experience in a financial aid office.
- Excellent student service orientation. Incumbent should remain current in financial aid policy and process and have experience in a financial aid environment including advising and coaching prospective students on financial aid programs, money management and financial literacy.
- Demonstrated experience in dealing with sensitive and confidential information, meeting AODA and FIPPA compliance, and in assisting and advising potential/current students and other clients from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
- Should conduct ongoing research and other professional development to ensure thorough knowledge of government, institutional, bank, and private financial aid and award programs as well as financial literacy and money management techniques and practices. Proven experience in developing, implementing and presenting workshops for educational purposes.

**Required Skills**:
Payband: I; Starting Rate: $35.83; Four Year Rate: $41.52

Required Experience

Full-time Support Staff: Replacement
Hours: 35 hours per week (1) one hour lunch; Mon - Fri (8:30am - 4:30pm)