Financial Aid Advisor

Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York, the University of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts university. The University combines a strong core curriculum with a full array of majors in the liberal arts and, within the tradition of liberal education, selected professional fields of study.

At Mount Saint Vincent, a student’s education extends beyond knowledge, skills, and preparation for work. We seek the development of the whole person. In the spirit of Vincent de Paul and Elizabeth Ann Seton, we foster an understanding of our common humanity, a commitment to human dignity, and a full appreciation of our obligations to each other.

Through its School of Professional and Continuing Studies, the University extends its primary undergraduate mission by offering high quality graduate studies in business, education and nursing and an array of undergraduate and certificate programs serving non-traditional students.

Position Summary The Financial Aid Advisor, reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, is responsible for the administration of federal, state, institutional, and partner-program financial aid. This role will have oversight for one or more student populations and institutional initiatives as needed. The Assistant Director ensures compliance with all federal, New York State, and institutional regulations while supporting enrollment, retention, and student success goals.

Primary Responsibilities

• Evaluate student eligibility for federal, New York State, institutional, and other applicable aid programs in accordance with established regulations, policies, and awarding guidelines.
• Package and award financial aid for new and continuing students enrolled in assigned programs, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to enrollment and processing timelines.
• Serve as the institutional lead for the administration of the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and other New York State aid programs, including eligibility review, reconciliation, compliance monitoring, resolution of student eligibility issues, and coordination with the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
• Coordinate verification, professional judgment, special circumstances, dependency overrides, and other eligibility review processes in accordance with federal regulations and institutional policies.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and implement changes to policies, procedures, and awarding practices as required.
• Serve as a primary financial aid contact for assigned programs and other student populations as assigned, fostering strong partnerships and ensuring alignment between institutional policies, enrollment timelines, and student support initiatives.
• Maintain and update financial aid calendars for assigned programs and collaborate with campus and partner stakeholders to ensure timely completion of all financial aid processes.
• Counsel prospective and continuing students and their families regarding financial aid eligibility, financing options, payment responsibilities, and related policies through in-person appointments, virtual meetings (Teams, Zoom or similar platforms), telephone consultations, and Email/SMS communications, group presentations, and outreach initiatives.
• Coordinate financial aid communications through Banner, Slate, EAB Navigate, email, print, and other communication channels to support recruitment, enrollment, retention, and compliance objectives.
• Perform scheduled imports, exports, and transmission of federal and state data files, ensuring timely and accurate processing of information between internal and external systems.
• Prepare routine and ad hoc reports utilizing Banner, Argos, Excel, and other reporting tools to support enrollment management, compliance, reconciliation, audit preparation, and strategic decision-making.
• Assist with financial aid reconciliations, reporting requirements, policy development, procedure documentation, and audit preparation activities.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Student Accounts, Registrar, Advising, and other campus partners to resolve student issues, support persistence efforts, and improve student experience.
• Travel as needed to assigned program locations to conduct counseling sessions, workshops, presentations, and enrollment support activities.
• Maintain programs, including occasional evening hours during peak processing and enrollment periods and providing weekend support for other undergraduate student programs as needed. Align work schedules with the operational needs and academic calendar of the assigned population.
• Review student credit balance refund requests and transactions for accuracy, eligibility, and compliance with federal, state, institutional, and program-specific regulations; approve or deny refunds as appropriate and coordinate with Student Accounts to ensure timely processing and resolution of outstanding issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Financial Aid.