Student Account Services Manager - TNBR Careers

This role is responsible for the assessment, collection, disbursement and reporting of student tuition and fees. This position must ensure all student and nonstudent accounts are invoiced accurately and timely and all funds are collected securely ...

Title: Student Account Services Manager

Department: Fiscal Operations

Number of Positions: 1

Classification: 3/On campus

Type of Appointment: Full-Time

Supervisory roles: two (2) current or former supervisors and one (1) current or former direct report

Personal references (friends, clergy, customers, relatives) are not considered acceptable references)

Position Summary: This role is responsible for the assessment, collection, disbursement and reporting of student tuition and fees. This position must ensure all student and nonstudent accounts are invoiced accurately and timely and all funds are collected securely in adherence to any applicable Tennessee Board of Regents, state, federal and payment industry regulations.

Essential Functions:

25% Supervise the cashiering function of the college. Assign tasks to, train and review performance of three full time employees. Reconcile and monitor student accounts and assist students with any tuition/fee related problem. Design and maintain publication and webpage information for tuition/fees and other cashier processes. Create and submit 1098T forms to students and the IRS. Serve on registration and enrollment management committees.

25% Supervise the accounts receivable function of the college. Assign tasks to, train and review performance of two full time employees. Reconcile and monitor billing and collection processes for student tuition/fees, third party scholarships/contracts and general non-student receivables. Audit billing files and communicate with students, staff and the general public on receivables issues.

15% Monitor control settings and coordinate upgrading and management of the college’s cashiering software, Touchnet and Workforce & Community Development cashiering software, Xenegrade. Verify feeds from cashiering software packages are received in the Banner system and deposits and reconciliations are performed accurately and timely. Ensure all college receipting functions are compliant with TBR, PSCC and Payment Card Industry-Data Security Standards regulations.

10% Perform database management of Banner Student AR rule and validation tables. Supervise the maintenance of detail code, third party contract, fee waiver and exemptions tables. Set up refund and fee assessment tables for each term. Perform testing with registration module to ensure accurate assessment of student tuition and fees.

10% Perform expunge of students for non-payment of fees from classes and oversee communication processes to students for fee payment deadlines and expunges. Coordinate with Financial Aid Director and Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Services dates for communications and messages and the execution of the expunge process.

5% Review and approve or deny student financial refund appeals. Counsel and assist students with the refund appeal process. Coordinate appeals and appeal decisions with Enrollment Services, Records, Counseling and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

5% Supervise the disbursement of student refunds due to students as a result of adjustments in tuition and fee charges or awarding of local, state or federal financial aid programs. Ensure funds are disbursed timely in accordance to federal and state regulations. Provide support to the Functional Support Technician during heavy refund periods and absences

5% Perform fiscal year end processes in Banner AR. Reconcile and code entries to clear accounts. Prepare fiscal year end reports.

Note: The College reserves the right to change or reassign job duties, or combine positions at any time.

Key Results Areas:

Must accurately maintain tables for fee assessment and calculation of refunds for dropped classes for more than 15,000 student accounts annually.

Oversees the receipt of all monies by the college including: student payments, tuition and fee payments from third party contracts and outside scholarships of more than $18 million annually. The Student Account Services office also receipts all non-student payments to the college, including financial aid awards, Workforce & Community Development revenue, monies received by the college’s foundation, grant awards, etc.

Supervises the refunding of around $10 million of student credit balances for tuition and fee adjustments due to withdrawal and federal, state and college financial aid awards.

Supervises the invoicing of delinquent student accounts and of non-student receivables owed to the college. This includes invoicing of over 1,000 individual student accounts per year to third party payers. Delinquent accounts must be turned over to an outside agency if not collected within parameters outlined by TBR policy, this position supervises the placement of around 500 accounts per year.

This position handles the sensitive area of monies with students.  Efficient, accurate, timely, confidential processes to accept payments from the students and release excess financial aid payments to the students are very important to the student.  When this position performs well, student retention is increased and goodwill is created in the community.

When this position performs well, funds due to the college are collected quickly with minimal fuss creating increased cash flow and no audit findings due to noncompliance.

Job Requirements: 

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Management or a related field.

Years of Experience: 

• Minimum: 3 years’ experience in student financial accounts (higher education), accounting, auditing, financial aid or account management is required.
• Preferred: 5 years’ experience in student financial accounts (higher education), accounting, auditing, or financial aid. Supervisory, higher education and Ellucian Banner experience is preferable.  Knowledge of the Banner Finance system along with the ability to apply accounting principles in order to reconcile finance accounts and make journal entries required to keep the Finance and Student Accounts Receivable modules in sync.

Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% credit of full-time work experience.

Skills & Abilities:

• • Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of higher education statutes, polices, practices, and operations including but not limited to GAAP, GASB standards, state laws, TBR and PSCC policies, FERPA, PCI and accreditation standards. (SACSCOC)
  • Ability to make consistent and equitable complex decisions and judgements related to sensitive or confidential issues based on available data and factual information.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate, both in writing and verbally, with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community.
  • Ability to lead or perform effectively as a member of a cross-functional team and to foster teamwork among diverse units.
  • Ability to prioritize and work on multiple and diverse projects.
  • Ability to plan, direct, and evaluate a complex operation.
  • Able to engage in the college’s mission and values.

Complexity & Creativity: 

This position will handle all issues of fee payments with students.  Must also communicate amount of fees and their definitions, payment options, payment due dates, financial appeals, student account review and corrections.  Determination of accurate fee charges and refunds will depend on extensive knowledge of TBR and college policies, a thorough understanding of how the Banner system assesses fees and calculates refunds, procedures, operations, and the ability to accurately judge each individual situation using this knowledge.

This position handles the administration of the cashiering, e-bill, e-refund, payment plan, and payment gateway software systems.  The systems have to be monitored, reported and reconciled daily.  Knowledge of banking regulations will be required to determine appropriate settings at different times of the semester.  This position must be able to identify when there is an operating problem immediately.  (Example, on the last day to pay fees, credit card payments were continuing to be processed by the payment gateway but the payment transactions were not posting to student accounts in Banner Student.  Student started to send multiple transactions against their credit card.  This position must monitor for this type of problem and know how to recognize and correct this type of error immediately)

This position must be able to think creatively and evaluate current cashiering, accounts receivable and refunding processes to determine if a more efficient and effective method could be used. Staying current on emerging technologies in the payment field and new methods of communicating with students enhances the college’s perception amongst students as well as the ability to collect funds owed to the college.

Increasing federal and payment card industry rules and regulations regarding security and anti-fraud protection are complex and changing at a rapid pace. This position must follow these changes and be prepared to adjust procedures and work with Information Technology staff to ensure compliance with these changing rules.

This position must be able to troubleshoot and adjust procedures to address any problems with the functional side of the Banner Accounts Receivable module. Some examples include incorrect posting of student tuition and fees, issues with refunding, eRate calculations, student or third party contract invoicing, holds, etc. It also requires the ability to review Banner manuals and work with IT staff in order to change settings and processes in order to implement changes in state law, policies and procedures.

Magnitude of Impact: 

The impact of decisions made while performing the processes leading up to, during and after the expunge of students for non-payment directly affect the college’s enrollment numbers and impacts the records, enrollment services, advising, financial aid and academic areas of the college. Students who are dropped often try to address any payment or financial aid issues that caused the expunge and then must see the advising and/or records office to be re-enrolled in their courses. It is critical to develop a clear and effective communication plan, to exercise good judgment while reviewing student accounts and to utilize coordination with other areas in the college to ensure student drops are handled appropriately and the college and students are not negatively impacted. Major problems in the expunge process that cause students to be dropped incorrectly or not dropped would require a plan to address from the Assistant Vice President, Vice President and possibly President level. Effects could be long term as it could lead to a lower student enrollment or an increase in receivables.

The billing and collection process is critical to keeping college receivables down and complying with TBR policies. Failure to properly invoice students and non-students could result in an increase in receivables, a decrease in revenue and possible audit findings for the college. Billing issues would be addressed by the Director of Fiscal Operations. Any audit findings would also involve the Vice President & Assistant Vice President of Administrative Affairs and the President. Effects could be long term in relation to receivables.

Properly handling cash, credit cards and other payments ensure the collection of funds owed to the college and keeps the college in compliance with state, banking and payment card industry regulations. Failure to maintain proper checks and balances, cash handling and reconciling procedures, and credit card security could lead to loss of cash leading to receivables, audit findings, fines and negative publicity. Effects from problems could vary depending on the nature and magnitude of the failure and could be long term and involve addressing by the Assistant Vice President of Administrative Affairs, Vice President of Administrative Affairs and President.

Responsibility for Accuracy:

Typical errors could include errors in the data entry of cash deposits/payments to the college or an electronic payment to the bank that is not recorded. These errors are caught during monthly reconciliations and corrected. If not detected this type of error would result in a misstatement of the financial statements and audit findings.

Financial Impact:

Inadequate monitoring and reconciling of cash, cash handling procedures and other cashier processes can result in the loss or theft of cash and audit findings.

This position must maintain procedures to process funds and collect receivables per state law and TBR policy or audit findings and a potential loss of collectable funds will result.

This position must monitor changes in the banking industry to ensure the college is compliant with current laws and regulations to avoid large fines, loss of charge-backs and other penalties.

Proper evaluation of student appeal request can correct registration errors or help a student who has had a critical, unexpected crisis in their life.  Proper and timely response creates goodwill with students and their families/friends. Improper handling of student appeal requests could result in a loss of funds for the college.

Budgetary:

This position has the ability to submit requisitions and requests for payment for the Student Account Services Office account. The employee is responsible for monitoring the budget and verifying expenditures for this account, which has an annual budget around $600,000.

This position also monitors/reconciles all revenue accounts which total over $80 million.

Nature of Contacts:

Providing and receiving information, discussing and seeking understanding of student account issues and resolving conflicts over student accounts and balances requires this position to work with almost every department in the college, including senior staff, as well as students, their families and outside companies. This position sits on several committees in the college and for the TBR and serves as the representative for Student Account Services. This position speaks with students, parents or staff members who have complaints or problems relating to cashier or accounts receivable staff, tuition/fee problems or unusual situations. 

Physical Demands: 

Getting up and down and standing to serve customers at registration or very busy times.  The position does require extended use of the phone to answer customer questions when needed. The position requires the extensive use of a video display terminal. Lifting and moving file boxes.

This position must be able to understand and express ideas, decisions, policies, procedures, etc. clearly on the phone and in person.  This position must be able to obtain data from several written sources to develop sound policies and procedures.

Full-time Employment Benefits:

 • Insurance Options Health, dental, vision, life, short/long-term disability, FSA/HSA Wellness Incentive Program, if enrolled in health plan

 • Educational Assistance Fee Waiver Spouse/Dependent discounts Audit/Non-Credit Reimbursement Program

 • Employee Assistance Program

• Retirement options Tennessee traditional pension plan option (TCRS) 401k with $50 company match/457/403b

• Employee Discount program with over 900+companies

• 13 Paid Holidays/Year Includes paid days off the last week of December

• Sick Leave Bank

 • Longevity Pay

• Many opportunities for professional development

Special Instructions to Applicants: To be considered for a position at Pellissippi State, you must create an on-line application. Your skills, abilities, qualifications, and years of experience will be evaluated using only what is recorded on your application. Work experience that is not listed on the application will not be considered towards compensation. Please note: attaching a resume does not substitute for completion of the application form. Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% of full-time experience. Please note: to scan, upload, or attach documents, a computer and scanner are available at the Hardin Valley Campus Educational Resources Center, if needed.

Pellissippi State Community College is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA employer

If you have any problems or questions please contact Human Resources at Pellissippi State Community College’s Human Resource Office at 865-694-6607 or by email at recruiting@pstcc.edu.

If you are interested in this position, click on the link to the left to apply.

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