Program Manager, Professional Schools’ Financial Aid Programs

Job Title Program Manager, Professional Schools’ Financial Aid Programs

Job Summary

Manages financial aid programs supporting graduate and professional programs of study, with a primary focus on supporting health, health sciences, and medical programs. Supports effective management of the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, including processing, services, and communications. Delivers on-site, off-site, and virtual service to students and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

• a. Manages designated programs in a manner that helps ensure comprehensive awareness and utilization of funding; adheres to relevant rules, regulations, policies, and practices

• b. Ensures appropriate consumer information for designated programs are available to students and colleagues; ensures effective related communications, counseling, and training for students and colleagues

• c. Communicates policies and procedures (including rights and responsibilities) to students, families, and colleagues in an accurate, timely, effective, thorough, equitable, and inclusive manner

• d. Regularly revises, updates, and distributes manual(s) to ensure awareness of applicable and regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as rights and responsibilities (for students and colleagues)

• e. Ensures effective advice and counseling provided for inquiries and recipients

• f. Fosters constructive working relationships with on- and off-campus program partners and colleagues

• g. Ensure award and disbursement records are accurate and all reporting and data submissions are completed accurately and timely

• h. On at least an annual basis, assesses composition of and need for designated programs and their utilization; prepares summary of analysis and determines appropriate distribution in collaboration with supervisor and/or Executive Director

• i. Prepares all contractual agreements and/or memoranda of understanding between the University of Utah and relevant program partners, if required, and ensures draft agreements are reviewed and approved by university legal services staff

• j. Serves as subject matter expert and lead for designated programs

• 2. SERVICE , PROCESSING , AND COMMUNICATIONS

• a. Monitors and adjusts, as appropriate, student financial aid awards to ensure timeliness and accuracy

• b. Effectively advances processing and service workloads including delivery of services and processing; adjusts accordingly in collaboration with managers to ensure balanced, timely, accurate, well-documented, equitable, and inclusive services and processing within benchmarks established by supervisor and/or office management team

• c. Determines eligibility for scholarships and financial aid, including types and amounts to be awarded or adjusted, in accordance with established federal and university standards and guidelines

• d. As needed, applies verification and appeals policies/requirements accurately, consistently, fairly, and equitably

• e. Professionally addresses and works toward resolution of complex or novel situations encountered in processing and service work of office

• f. Ensures professional delivery of services, including maintenance of data/information security, privacy, and confidentiality

• g. Follows appropriate records management procedures and complies with recordkeeping and archival requirements

• h. Completes multiple complex reports used to monitor and assure service and processing benchmarks, as well as accuracy of eligibility and payments

• 3. COMPLIANCE AND SUPPORT

• a. Maintains expertise in laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and high impact practices affecting eligibility for and management of designated programs/processes

• b. Monitors eligibility determinations for designated programs to ensure they are accurate and reasonable, and that adjustments are made appropriately and timely; ensures maintenance of thorough documentation of eligibility determinations, compliance, adjustments, and all related transactions for purposes of audits and program reviews

• c. Maintains access to and a working knowledge of relevant internal and external systems

• d. Provides clear and accurate documentation of transactions, conversations, interactions, and edits affecting student eligibility and/or compliance with applicable regulations, statutes, and/or policies

• e. Adheres to all statutory, regulatory, and policy guidance, including office policies and procedures

• f. Maintains privacy and confidentiality of student and family data and information

• g. Maintains security of student records and related information

• h. Actively participates in and contributes to overall office effectiveness

• 4. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ; PROFESSIONALISM

• a. Maintains current knowledge of policies, rules, regulations, technical standards, and high-impact practices associated with administering and delivering federal, state, institutional, and private programs, including associated systems and emerging technologies

• b. Actively participates in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops; meets and communicates clearly with colleagues in similar positions/roles; researches industry practices; shares resulting knowledge and research with management and staff in order to serve well the students and the institution

• c. Participates in approved professional development activities in coordination with supervisor

• d. Ensures area policies and procedures are current and accurate

• e. Supports financial aid outreach events, ensuring delivered information and question responses are accurate, timely, complete, and professional

• f. Maintains professional appearance and demeanor, including when engaging students, families, colleagues, and members of the public

• g. Collaborates with other employees on office committees regarding policy, procedures, and training opportunities

• h. Assists in training new employees (permanent and temporary, including interns and graduate assistants), as needed

• 5. GENERAL OFFICE SUPPORT AND EFFECTIVENESS

• a. Effectively participates in and oversees area(s) of responsibility

• b. Partners in monitoring and assurance that overall office operations are functional, accessible, efficient, compliant, and free of conflicts of interest

• c. Directs timely and accurate completion of workload, including efficient monitoring and distribution of workload; proactively coordinates with colleagues and managers to ensure effective office-wide coordination and delivery of processing, services, and outreach activities

• d. Routinely and thoroughly reviews output and reports for accuracy and compliance

• e. Follows established timelines/calendars for projects/tasks; provides updates as necessary

• f. Ensures communication of policies and procedures (including rights and responsibilities) to students, families, and colleagues occurs in an accurate, timely, effective, thorough, equitable, and inclusive manner

• g. Routinely informs supervisor and senior management team of status updates regarding the designated programs/processes; advises management of anomalies, trends, or patterns affecting student and program eligibility

• h. As needed, serves on and/or oversees various office committees, which may include such functions as communications plan, appeals processes, outreach, personnel, forms and publications, etc.; position may also be asked to serve on Enrollment Management and/or University committees

• i. Maintains effective working relationships and serves as a resource regarding scholarship and financial aid issues, policies, and procedures

• j. Collaborates on office-wide training and development plans

• k. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or Executive Director, including providing assistance in other areas within UOSFA during peak or seasonal periods for processing and service

• Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus two years of related experience or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience). Demonstrated human relations and effective communication s