The Financial Aid Specialist position is responsible for the administration of financial need programs, primarily the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and other provincial/territorial equivalent programs. Accountabilities include receiving, editing, auditing and determining eligibility for applicants of these programs and applying careful judgement to appeal processing decisions. The Financial Aid Specialists work collaboratively as a team to provide proactive, student focused services in a variety of formats (i.e. in person, telephone, email, Skype for Business). The Financial Aid Specialists are a source of knowledge in the Student Awards and Financial Aid office and The Student Service Centre related to Federal and Provincial financial aid administration and all Student Award and Financial Aid (SAFA) financial aid opportunities.

Policy interpretation

• Ability to interpret Ministry policies and apply to OSAP applications to ensure compliance
• Authorize the amount of all refunds that may be returned to the student
• Evaluate complex OSAP appeals and make approval decisions using Ministry policy
• Provides analysis of new policy and legislation to students
• Develops and maintains out of province procedures and user documentation within assigned portfolio
• Ability to understand complex financial aid assessments by using the most current policy available from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU)
• Responsible to keep up to date on changes to policy and understanding the impact these changes have on the programs administered, including OSAP

Communication & Stakeholder Focus

• Advocate for students as needed by consulting with the MCU, National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) and other organizations
• Seeks to make recommendations to resolve challenges, sharing and documenting resolutions ensuring knowledge is shared with team
• Tailors communication (e.g. content style or medium) to diverse audiences
• Provide tier 2 support to the Student Service Centre on the front counter and phones
• Help with ongoing training needs of the Student Service Centre staff on Financial Aid information to ensure their knowledge base is strong and up to date
• Receives and responds to phone, written, in person, and electronic inquiries regarding a variety of financial aid solutions
• Advises student(s) with unique/complex financial or family situations and recommends financial aid options as appropriate
• Communicates with NSLSC and MCU on behalf of individual students seeking third party assistance
• Keep students up to date on the progress of more complex appeals and inquiries
• Anticipates upcoming needs and concerns and looks for ways to add value beyond immediate request
• Upholds confidentiality and privacy of student information, inquiries and cases as per university policies

Administration of Funding

• Administer funding for all provinces and territories, requiring sound understanding of Federal, Provincial and Territory policy and procedures
• Administers OSAP funding by reviewing, editing, and performing an audit of applications
• The Financial Aid Specialist provides advice and guidance to students seeking information and support
• Reviews documents for completeness and accuracy and ensures they meet requirements for approval and process
• Keeps accurate records, ensuring forms are organized and confidential documents are retained FIPPA standards
• Process and reconciles against reports throughout each term to ensure all funding applications (OSAP and other provinces) are up to date and accurate
• Run standard queries to gather data from the Student Information System (PeopleSoft) to process out of province funding records
• Extract student online application submissions for processing
• Process international financial aid programs including Sallie Mae and US Veterans Affairs

Priority Setting

• Prioritizes requests and work to address most pressing concerns first
• Plan and organize workload within assigned portfolio
• Open to change and quick to adapt for changes out of one’s control (e.g. government policies and procedures)
• Monitors quality and timeliness of own work
• Uses available resources in daily work

Team Support

• Provides support and input to the Assistant Director for staff and student (work-study and work placement), hiring and student appraisals, Aids in peer training
• Provide content for weekly team meeting
• Suggests resolution to solve moderately complex problemsShares priorities, workloads and back up plans
• Provide leadership and support to coop and work study students each term

• Post-Secondary degree or diploma required or equivalent education and/or experience
• Extensive experience in a professional customer service environment
• Experience interpreting, handling and communicating financial information
• Experience working in an administrative or post-secondary environment governed by policies and procedures
• Intermediate Microsoft Word and Excel
• Experience using on-line Student Information System an asset
• Excellent data entry skills and proven aptitude for attention to detail and accuracy is required
• Excellent human relations / interpersonal, organizational, problem solving and communication (oral and written) skills required
• Demonstrating ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Strong organization skills and demonstrated initiative with the ability to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities
• Proven ability to work independently and as a team member in a busy deadline oriented and varied environment with changing priorities
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures relating to student records preferred
• Able to articulate concepts and content effectively in writing
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proven aptitude to deal with difficult or sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca  or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.