Financial Aid Assistant IV
DESCRIPTION:
Bellingham Technical College invites applications for one full-time, regular classified position as
Financial Aid Assistant IV for the Student Financial Resources office. Position is anticipated to begin about March 27, 2023. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Financial Aid.
The Financial Aid Assistant IV serves as the primary point of contact for students by providing direct customer service to students and staff; responds to inquiries regarding office policies and procedures in person, by phone and email; assists students with all aspects of applying for financial aid and maintaining eligibility; manages a caseload of financial aid files; reviews financial aid applications, completes verification and awarding processes; and coordinates one or more financial aid or scholarship programs or major operational processes. This position requires a highly computerized environment and utilizes higher level technical skills, exercising independent judgment in applying financial aid re
gulations, and under general supervision, performs a variety of more complex clerical tasks.
Bellingham Technical College is committed to recruiting dedicated faculty and staff who together
create a welcoming academic climate that reflects the diverse backgrounds of our community,
including ethnicity, national origin, religion, race, gender, gender identity, age, status as a veteran
or disabled veteran, disability, political status, and sexual orientation. The successful candidate will
be expected to establish a successful and supportive learning environment for a diverse college
student population with a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences.
POSITION DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Serve as primary contact for students, staff and other agencies via phone, email, and in-person customer service at the front desk; provide information regarding program policies;
perform a variety of public relations functions;
• Research the status of student financial aid applications and answer student questions and
concerns regarding financial aid and Workforce funding issues;
• Review and accept student documents; scan and file documents in an electronic filing
system; update and maintain student records;
• With minimal direction, make decisions relative to areas of assigned responsibility;
• Provide input regarding policies and procedural decisions that pertain to area of
responsibility;
• Conduct verification of financial aid applications using documents submitted by students
including tax and income documents;
• Determine eligibility of various federal, state and institutional funds and award financial aid
according to regulations governing individual aid programs and internal procedures;
• Verify eligibility for various awards with local, state, or federal sources;
• Authorize disbursement of funds and bill agencies or students for repayment;
• Electronically draw down financial aid records from the Department of Education (DOE) and
import records to the College computing system; electronically transfer data records to the
DOE for approved student financial aid awards;
• Generate reports and conduct reconciliation activities on a monthly basis;
• Conduct data entry for Workforce grant programs and student tracking;
• Perform more complex word processing and data entry tasks;
• Operate standard office equipment such as PC's, calculators, FAX, copy machine;
• Provide excellent customer service by listening attentively, responding professionally,
demonstrating empathy, effectively managing difficult communications, and exercising
professionalism and confidentiality in all communications.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Qualifications:
• High school graduation or equivalent AND minimum three years of applicable experience
such as problem solving, managing projects and deadlines, strong computer skills, and
customer service.
OR
• Associates degree or higher AND minimum one year of applicable experience such as
problem solving, managing projects and deadlines, strong computer skills, and customer
service.
OR
• Education and experience equivalent to one of the two requirements listed above.
Preferred Qualifications:
• One year of work experience in a financial aid setting;
• Associates Degree or higher;
• Experience using computer applications such as PeopleSoft, Banner, or SBCTC Legacy
systems.
Physical Work Environment:
Shared office setting which requires the ability to position self and operate a computer for long
periods of time during the work shift; Regular keyboarding and using a computer mouse or
equivalent assistive technology; Frequent need for oral, written, and auditory communication; Ability to position self and move up to 10 pounds with or without accommodation; Working in an open office environment with frequent interruptions and distractions.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below represent the characteristics and essential
performance expectations of the position. Applicants do not necessarily need to enter the position
with all of these knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Knowledge of:
• Program, and college policies and procedures;
• Working knowledge of general office equipment;
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
Skill:
• Strong computer skills, and accurate computerized data entry using the college's
systems/programs including word processing, database management, and developing
spreadsheets;
• Strong team building skills;
• Strong organization skills;
• Skill in and accuracy with detail work, filing documents, and proofreading skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Confidentiality and professionalism;
• Exercising independent judgment in gathering, arranging, and evaluating, diversified data.
Ability to:
• Work independently and part of a team;
• Communicate in a positive manner with diverse populations of students;
• Effectively diffuse highly emotional incidents;
• Exercise problem solving skills and complete detailed work including mathematical
computation duties with a high degree of accuracy;
• Perform job tasks using a variety of computer systems and electronic records, with or
without accommodation
• Position oneself for long periods of time;
• Utilize organizational skills and manage a high-volume workload.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Compensation and Work Schedule:
Salary is in accordance with the negotiated agreement with the Bellingham Education Support Team (BEST), Range 7, $3,490 per month ($20.06 per hour, $41,880 annual), with annual increments to $4,388 per month ($25.22 per hour, $52,656 annual) after five years of BTC experience in this position.
Leave is subject to the BEST negotiated agreement which currently expires June 30, 2023.
Currently, this position receives 8 hours per month of sick leave and starts with 10.67 hours per
month (16 days per year) of vacation leave, 24 hours of personal leave and 12 paid state/college
holidays per calendar year. The sick leave and personal leave are available after successful
completion of a 180 worked day probationary period. Benefits also include a Washington State
insurance package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability; a
retirement benefits package, with choice between the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Plan 2 or 3, up to five days of bereavement leave, depending on relative, up to 3 days birth/adoption leave, military leave per RCW 38.40.060 and paid civil/jury duty. Additional optional benefits include ability to participate in a medical Flexible Spending plan, Limited Purpose Flexible Spending plan, or Health Savings Account; Dependent Care Assistance; auto and homeowners insurance discounts, employee only tuition waiver assistance; and two voluntary investment (not matched) programs -TIAA (403b) or the State Deferred Compensation (457) plan.
The regular work schedule is generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but may be.
scheduled during the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. workday; schedule may vary, especially around quarter start and end and peak dates, and may require some overtime hours. The position will be expected to
work onsite full-time with the possibility of some limited remote or flexible work arrangements.
Application Procedures and Deadline:
Required application materials must be completed and submitted online.
at http://www.btc.edu/jobs and received by 5 p.m. on February 10, 2023, for priority consideration. Application materials received after this date and time may be considered until the position is filled. More information about Bellingham Technical College is at www.btc.edu or contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 752-8354. You will be contacted if selected for an interview. At this time, BTC is not sponsoring H-1B Visa's.
Required Online Application Materials:
• Completed Online BTC Employment Application
• Online Supplemental Questions
Examination Requirements:
All applicants are required to complete the online Supplemental Questions, which will be scored.
Each supplemental question must have an answer to be scored. Be sure to repeat information in a
supplemental question if it is required by more than one question. Software such as Microsoft Office Software, and/or other examinations may be administered for finalists.
Bargaining Unit:
The position has been designated as a bargaining unit position represented by the Bellingham
Educational Support Team (BEST).
Interviews are anticipated to be held between March 1-3, 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are asked to come to campus for in-person interviews, BTC social distancing
protocols will be in place.