Scholarship Coordinator

JOB TITLE: Scholarship Coordinator              DIVISION: Student Affairs

SUPERVISOR’S TITLE: Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships DEPARTMENT: Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships

BASIC FUNCTIONS: Under the general supervision of the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships, the Scholarship Coordinator is responsible for organizing and facilitating scholarship functions, including scholarship database administration, and scholarship expenditures and eligibility. The Scholarship Coordinator will perform a wide range of services to Benedict College and its students with enrollment initiatives. The Scholarship Coordinator will plan, implement, award, and evaluate institutional scholarships, develop and determine office policies and procedures, manage the delivery of scholarship assistance, identify external scholarships (UNCF, SC LIFE, SC HOPE, etc) and communicate/encourage Benedict College’s students to apply. This position will also assist the Director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships when needed.

The individual in this position must function in accordance with the philosophy and mission of the College.

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PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITY

• Identify potential opportunities for nationally competitive scholarships and programs and advises students through the development of competitive resumes and application materials including, but not limited to, providing feedback on application process for regional, national, and international scholarships/placements, training in essay preparation, interview techniques and other skills appropriate to the awards.
• Manage the State of South Carolina’s scholarship and grant programs
• Serves as a liaison for campus departments and administration by communicating needs, concerns, and issues related to external and institutional scholarship programs. This includes, but is not limited to, enlisting the expertise of faculty across disciplines, assembling review committees when needed, promoting student achievements to enhance the profile of Benedict College, and other issues related to institutional scholarships
• Assist Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships with the Federal Work Study Program
• Assists with document data entry into the PowerFAIDS System
• In conjunction with the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, confirm student eligibility for aid awards prior to disbursement
• Runs and manages reports as needed from PowerFaids and Jenzebar EX Systems.
• Assists with the completion of annual reports and surveys when necessary
• Evaluates, awards, reconciles, and manages communication for scholarships for the Scholarships Programs in collaboration with enrollment units and other units and collaborates with external constituents for scholarship opportunities.
• Advises and serves students, parents, and others regarding scholarships and enrollment initiatives which includes, but is not limited to, emails, phone calls, campus visitors, recruitment/orientation events, financial literacy programs, scholarship recipients
• Counsels students as necessary
• Works collaboratively with staff and other departments to resolve programmatic issues
• Keep abreast of federal and state regulatory changes.
• Review, on a weekly basis, financial aid reports to insure accurate awarding to students and careful use of federal and institutional dollars
• Interpret and implement federal laws and regulations; College policies and regulations; and state regulations as they relate to packaging, budgets and disbursements of funds.
• Ensure security, confidentiality, and safety of financial aid records, promissory notes, etc.
• Perform other duties as directed by the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Understanding of federal, state, institutional and private sources of financial aid.
• Knowledge of federal regulations and Title IV programs
• Knowledge of state scholarship and grant programs
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, prospective students, Benedict faculty and staff, and local community members
• Software: Jenzabar, PowerFaids
• Comfortable applying judgment and working both independently and in a team.
• Can effectively supervise small teams. People management skills are a plus
• Writes quickly and clearly in language understood by students & parents

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors’ degree required
• At least 3 years in higher education Financial Aid function
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word
• Experience with and knowledge of automated student information systems; excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills