GOVERNMENT AID OFFICER

Department Description:

The Office of the Registrar provides a number of services to both prospective and current students and is the primary information source on enrolment, convocation ceremonies and important student dates and events throughout the year. We are a smart, collaborative group of nearly 70 employees, spread across 7 departments: Student Services, Student Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Recruitment, Undergraduate Admissions, Student Records & Systems, Scheduling & Examinations, and Central RO Administration. This supportive and dynamic team works together to provide assistance to students from the beginning of their time at McMaster University until they graduate.

We are currently looking to hire 2 Government Aid Officers in our Student Financial Aid & Scholarships department that will use a variety of specialized skills to promote and support the overall strategic plan of the Office of the Registrar. The Student Financial Aid & Scholarships department connects students with government financial aid, bursaries, work programs and scholarships. These resources help make post-secondary education more accessible and recognize students' academic, extracurricular and community achievements

General Description:

Responsible for the adjudication process for financial aid applications and ensuring government and University funds are allocated to students in need of financial aid by applying established policies. Responsible for the development and implementation of programs and services for students and the processing and delivery of multiple government and institutional financial aid programs including student loans, grants, bursary that promote financial accessibility and student retention. Evaluate and assess application and appeal files and independently make funding decisions for students. Coordinate, award, and disburse provincial, federal, and institutional financial aid assistance programs.

Representative Duties & Responsibilities:

• Complete a complex adjudication process for financial aid applications, which includes, but is not limited to: eligibility assessments, validating and inputting supporting documentation, applying cost codes, initiating correspondence, confirmation of enrolment, reviewing student academic records, updating university and government systems and assessing withdrawals and appeals.
• Develop programs and services to assist current and prospective students to obtain and manage their resources throughout their post-secondary career.
• Create customized strategies to help students overcome financial obstacles.
• Independently adjudicate applications and determine students’ eligibility to qualify for financial assistance.
• Plan the implementation, structure and awarding processes for new funds and funding programs.
• Review and interpret information provided through various government policy documents and processing guidelines to ensure existing business processes comply with inspections, audits, and government policies.
• Collect, analyze, assess, and summarize information relevant to the decision making process and developing recommendations for final approval and implementation.
• Monitor changes to student registration and funding eligibility by running and reviewing daily reports, adjusting records, and returning funds to the Ministry Training, Colleges, and Universities.
• Complete student withdrawals by reviewing student record and student account, calculating funding repayment amounts from generated tuition refunds and processing journals to institutional accounts and issuing non-PO vouchers to the National Student Loan Service Centre.
• Report fraudulent government aid applications and supporting documentation to the government.
• Prepare and submit reports relating to management for review.
• Provide budget projections to management requiring a review of past expenditures and calculations for projected expenditures within a portfolio.
• Allocate, disburse and reconcile funds.
• Write and modify queries to obtain information relevant to financial aid programs.
• Liaise with colleagues both internal and external to the University to discuss and understand a range of issues, processes and policies.
• Develop and deliver presentations to applicants, students, parents, and stakeholders across the University.
• Process appeals including, but not limited to, issuing notifications of ineligibility, placing restrictions on files, and approving assessment appeals.
• Read, interpret, and understand supporting documentation.
• Update and maintain information in a variety of databases, spreadsheets and available tools and software.
• Participate in student services events and meetings and provide information in support of departmental services (i.e., recruitment events, convocation, Ontario University Fair, etc.).
• Maintain the confidentiality of student records.
• Write a variety of documents including, but not limited to, procedural documentation, letters, correspondence, and reports.
• Assemble, copy, collate, and distribute documents and packages.
• Set up and maintain filing systems, both electronic and hard copy. File and archive documents.
• Sort and distribute incoming mail and faxes.

Supervision:

Provides functional guidance to others on an ongoing basis.

JD1188