Financial Aid Officer-Hybrid Schedule

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: full time
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $75,000-$77,000

Position Summary

The incumbent, reporting directly to the Assistant Director of Financial Aid Client Services, is responsible for counseling and advising students on all related financial aid programs, eligibility criteria, application procedures, costs, indebtedness, and financial planning at all contracted schools. The incumbent provides proactive, student-centered advising with increased emphasis on private and alternative financing options to support students impacted by changes in federal loan eligibility and aggregate loan limits.

Responsibilities

• The incumbent oversees related communication with students and parents and serves as a primary point of contact for financial aid call center inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent information is provided to students and families. This includes managing inquiry volume related to federal, private, and alternative loan programs; resolving complex or escalated cases; and identifying trends in student inquiries to inform outreach, training, and process improvements. Responsibilities include supporting service-level expectations for response time, accuracy, and customer satisfaction, without formal supervisory authority.

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  The incumbent cultivates relationships with internal and external members of the University community, as well as external lending partners and scholarship providers as appropriate. The Officer reviews and interprets financial aid application data, determines student eligibility, and awards new and continuing students in accordance with School packaging philosophies, federal and institutional policies, and evolving regulatory requirements.

• The incumbent assists in the review and annual update of Costs of Attendance (COA), packaging procedures, standard and custom reports, and selection sets, and troubleshoots technical and data-related issues impacting aid delivery. Particular attention is given to identifying students whose federal loan eligibility is constrained and proactively supporting alternative funding strategies.

• Along with the Assistant Director, the incumbent maintains and updates financial aid content on the Student Financial Services website, including student-facing information related to private loan options, responsible borrowing, and financial wellness, as well as the database of external fellowships and grants. The Officer contributes to the development of clear communications and resources to help students and families understand borrowing limits, financing gaps, and available alternatives.

• The incumbent is responsible for enhanced pre-collection and early intervention efforts for currently enrolled students, particularly those affected by federal loan aggregate limit reductions. This includes proactively contacting students with debit balances, assisting students and families in securing appropriate financing, and providing individualized financial planning support to help meet their financial obligations to the University.

• The Officer provides first-class, student-focused support using workshops, individual appointments, web-based tools, email, social media, telephone contact, and call center platforms to disseminate accurate, timely, and clear information. The role includes increased financial literacy and debt counseling, with emphasis on comparing federal and private borrowing, understanding loan terms, and promoting responsible borrowing practices.

• The incumbent may assist with the development and maintenance of call center scripts, knowledge base articles, and standardized responses related to financial aid counseling, loan borrowing limits, and alternative financing options. The incumbent may also contribute to tracking and analyzing call center metrics—such as inquiry volume, resolution time, and escalation frequency—to support service improvements and staffing assessments.

• The incumbent is expected to follow office policies and procedures for all processes and responsibilities.

• This position is expected to exercise professional judgment in extenuating circumstances, as defined by Department of Education regulations, when analyzing data and individual student financial situations to make informed decisions and adjustments to student records, while maintaining compliance and delivering an exceptional customer service experience.

• Performs related duties and special projects as assigned, including participation in initiatives related to changes in federal loan programs, aggregate loan limits, call center service delivery, and expansion of private and alternative financing support.

   

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or its equivalent
• Minimum of 2-4 years related experience 

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of Federal Student Aid regulations and understanding of Financial Aid systems preferred. 

• Knowledge of federal and private loan programs is strongly preferred. 

• Experience with SIS Informs and PowerFAIDS Financial Aid system strongly preferred.  

Other Requirements

• Knowledge of accounting concepts as well as competence in Excel required.  
• A demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team-based environment, manage conflicting priorities and work under deadlines is needed.  
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access required). 
• Must be detail-oriented with organizational and problem-solving skills, and be able to manage deadline oriented projects. 
• Must be able to demonstrate critical thinking, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.  
• In addition, the successful candidate must be able to work well with all levels of employees, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization.  
• Must have a passion for excellent customer service.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.