Finger Lakes Community College · 2 weeks ago
Financial Aid Counselor (PA)
Canandaigua, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Entry Level
$54K/yr - $65K/yr
1+ years expFinger Lakes Community College is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor to assist in the implementation of federal and state financial aid programs and provide guidance to students on financial aid matters. The role includes processing financial aid applications, coordinating outreach programs, and ensuring compliance with regulations while supporting recruitment and retention efforts.
Higher Education
No H1B
Responsibilities
Coordinates and/or assists with the export processes for federal files
Organizes and participates in both on- and off-campus recruitment and retention activities, such as high school parent night programs, Admissions open houses and workshops and other community activities
Represents the Director at meetings as requested
Coordinates the collection of documentation of economic eligibility for the Educational Opportunity Program for their assigned caseload. Works closely with the Director of EOP to ensure economic eligibility determinations are completed and EOP targets are met
Represents the Financial Aid Office on various committees on and off campus as appropriate
Provides assistance and outreach services to our campus centers
Counsels prospective and current students and their families on the phone and in-person
Assists with front counter duties with staff
Proactively reviews anticipated financial aid disbursements to student accounts. Analyzes refund reports to prevent inadvertent overpayments which may cause an AR balance in the Student Accounts Office
Assists the Director with the coordination of the SAP process, reviews SAP appeals, and creates academic plans in conjunction with the AACTS office
Trains and provides guidance to Professional Academic Advisors (PAA) to ensure they register their students for the appropriate coursework to maintain eligibility in special aid programs like Excelsior, GI Bill, etc
Conducts financial-aid workshops for new and returning students to help students complete and understand the financial-aid process
Participates in professional development activities at the institutional, regional, state, and federal level
Assists in the creation of computer-generated reports for the office. Analyzes, interprets, and provides relevant insights on data
Assists in the answering of office phone calls
Assists the Director in maintaining the Ellucian Colleague system including testing Ellucian Colleague rules, algorithms, and quality control mechanism after upgrade and patching of existing systems, new integrations, and aid year rollover
Assists in the daily intake of all paperwork including logging in forms received and helping coordinate outgoing communications with students and families
Assists the Director with parts of the FISAP
Coordinates alternative/private loan processing, including, but not limited to, certification, reviewing error reports, and reconciliation
Meets with lender representatives to stay informed about private loan programs, eligibility requirements, and application processes. Disseminates pertinent information to other offices on campus
Completes verification by conducting a thorough review of student and parent federal and NYS tax returns, and other income documents to determine tax filing requirements, appropriate filing status, and accurate exemptions in accordance with IRS Publication 17. Analyzes tax data and compares it to FAFSA-reported information to verify accuracy, identify and correct discrepancies, and ensure compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations
Resolves Comment Codes and any errors and/or conflicting information on the FAFSA
Plans and performs a variety of complex financial aid functions, including evaluating special circumstances (e.g., loss of income, medical expenses), and applying financial aid policies to unique situations. Exercises professional judgment to independently resolve issues such as dependency overrides, special circumstance appeals, and professional judgment adjustments. Uses discretion to make necessary adjustments to FAFSA data elements, including recalculating AGI, tax paid, or other tax-related data, to modify the SAI (Student Aid Index) as permitted within the regulatory framework, adapting standard procedures to meet individual student needs
Oversees and executes essential daily batch processing within Ellucian Colleague to ensure seamless integration of multiple systems and interfaces, including, but not limited to, FPP, COD, NSLDS, HESCWeb, OnBase, Elm, etc. This includes ISIR imports, COD file transfer, NSLDS file processing, HESC file transfer, ELM imports, and transfer monitoring. Identifies, analyzes, and resolves batch processing errors
Works with project managers and computer programmers to scope system automations and workflow enhancements pertinent to their caseload. Participates in User Acceptance Testing for all software enhancements and provide feedback to developers
Performs other related duties as assigned by the Director of Financial Aid
Coordinates all aspects of a specific federal and/or state programs including (examples include: Pell, federal loans, federal work study (FWS), veteran's benefits, NYS Aid): Certifications, adjustments and disbursements. Coordinating FWS hiring events, oversees hiring process in conjunction with HR and supervisors across campus, and supervises the FA FWS students. Reconciliations of the awards monthly and annually. Remaining current on all regulations surrounding said programs. Counseling, records retention, compliance of program's Provides continued improvement of programs for student service. Remains current on all necessary hardware/software programs
Performs complex Return to Title IV Calculations (R2T4), determining the appropriate method based on whether the calculation applies to a standard or module-based program. Assesses and applies withdrawal exemptions specific to programs offered in modules, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations. Accurately calculates the percentage of the payment period completed by the student, factoring in any adjustments for partial withdrawals or program changes
Performs Need Analysis using the Federal Methodology (FM), reviews aggregate aid eligibility and lifetime eligibility use, determines financial aid awards, and packages financial aid
Coordinates the application and award process for summer sessions. Counsels students, reviews applications and awards students
Responsible for SUNY Cross Registration financial aid section
Shares all Excelsior duties with the Director of Financial Aid
Participates on college academic appeals committee
Assists with the preparation of Social Service, Access-VR and landlord letters
Assists with the awarding of Foundation and outside aid awards
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to comprehend financial aid regulations
Knowledge of automated systems
Commitment to exceptional customer service
Preferred
Master's degree
One-year financial aid experience
Community College experience
Certified Financial Aid Administrator
Benefits
NYS retirement or Optional SUNY Retirement Program
SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan
Comprehensive Health and Dental Insurance through Excellus BCBS
FSA
21 days of annual leave, 12 sick days, and 13.5 holidays annually
FLCC Tuition Waiver for employee and dependents
Tuition assistance – 4-year institutions
Company
Finger Lakes Community College
Finger Lakes Community College is a school in Canandaigua.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$1.6MKey Investors
BioMADE
2024-08-13Grant· $0.1M
2022-05-03Grant· $1.5M
Leadership Team
Brie Chupalio
Chief Advancement Officer
Edward C. Kelty
Chief Information Officer
Recent News
Central New York Business Journal
2025-11-06
Rochester Business Journal
2025-10-17
Rochester Business Journal
2025-10-15
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