Recruitment Period: 12/09/2022 - Until Filled

Status: Full Time

Salary Information: Annual Minimum Salary-$37,100-Annual Maximum Salary-$55,700

Applicants for all positions will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 during the hiring process. Valid medical or religious exemptions will be considered.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) was founded as a 501(c) (3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest.

The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Master of Arts in Medical Science enrolling over 550 students annually with plans to develop other programs and/or colleges. Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play. For more information, visit https://www.visityakima.com/.

General Summary:

The Senior Financial Aid Coordinator is a member of the Enrollment Services team reporting to the Director of Financial Aid and is instrumental in providing student service, fiscal responsibility, and compliance across multiple health science programs. Timely communication, extreme attention to detail, and sound judgment are requirements of the Senior Financial Aid Coordinator.

The Senior Financial Aid Coordinator has a vital role in ensuring accurate information is produced within a deadline-driven environment and protects confidential student information at all times. Responsibilities include managing all student aid data to ensure that students receive the benefits for which they qualify in accordance with federal and state regulation, which includes coordinating, tracking, and reconciling student aid records; generating reports in Excel; exporting reports from systems; compliance with financial audit best practices and institutional policy. Duties include data entry, document management, participation in on- and off-campus activities, annual audit participation, file transfer between the U.S. Department of Education and PNWU Finance Office, and monitoring academic eligibility.

Requires a student/customer service oriented individual familiar with general university procedures, policies, services, and ability to assist any student, potential student, their families, faculty, staff, and university visitor at all times. The position requires intermediate to advanced technical skills using Microsoft Word and Excel and the use of the student information system and financial aid information system along with U.S. Department of Education web products and resources.

Essential Job Functions:

• Manage student financial aid records, completing student requests, tracking requirements, and compliance with federal regulations

Responsible for reviewing and maintaining student documents for compliance requirements

Tracking and processing student budget revision requests

Determine student’s financial aid eligibility, package eligibility, and apply professional judgment as allowed by regulation, policy, and procedure

Test and debug financial aid computer applications for upgrades and new functionality. Assess operational needs, provide solutions, and train staff

Manages all federal data file transmissions

Calculate student eligibility in case of academic progress, withdrawal, leave of absence, and less than full year enrollment

Navigating and using multiple databases and system software programs while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail

• Fiscal responsibility

Reconciling federal student loan amounts in financial aid information system with U.S. Department of Education and PNWU Finance, trouble shoot data errors

Confirm student eligibility based on federal regulation and authorize disbursement for PNWU Finance

• Communication

Counseling students on missing requirements, eligibility, and complicated regulations

Communicating student status and reports to other university offices

Verbal and written communications in a professional manner

Manage the financial aid web pages on PNWU.edu

• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and institutional regulations and policies, including areas such as eligibility, reconciling, and reporting
• Follows the PNWU policy and procedure for developing and reviewing procedures that affect unit and other units, tracks procedure updates, schedules regular reviews, and recommends process improvements, implement best business practices that improve and maintain compliance, customer service, and communications with all university constituents
• Understands accreditation standards and expectations specific to the department and adheres to policies and procedures to meet or exceed such standards
• Conducts self appropriately and consistently in accordance with the philosophy and mission of PNWU
• Other duties as assigned

Education:

• Required: Bachelor's Degree

Experience:

• Required: Two years of experience in financial or related position
• Preferred: Two years of financial aid experience

Desired Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

Strong organization, interpersonal, and planning skills; strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to work in a team and flexibility to work with others in a variety of circumstances; ability to problem solve by analyzing issues and creating action plans; ability to manage projects and people and prioritize and self-direct workflow; ability to work with and manage different computer programs and databases; ability to schedule activities and/or meetings; and ability to use and demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

To ensure full consideration submit:

• A letter of introduction outlining background and qualifications for the position
• Detailed curriculum vitae
• Contact information for three professional references

The job announcement above is not the full job description, but represents the job responsibilities and requirements. A full job description can be provided upon request.

PNWU offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees first of the month following date of hire and competitive salary.

For information about life in Yakima visit our PNWU page.

PNWU is a drug-free workplace, equal opportunity employer and educational institution. To request this publication in an alternative format, or to apply in an alternative format, please call Human Resources, 509.452.5100.