Student Accounts Specialist and VA Coordinator - Southern California Institute of Technology

Position Summary

The Student Accounts Specialist/VA Benefits Coordinator is an administrative position primarily responsible for all aspects of updating and maintaining student accounts as well as VA benefit payments. The role requires a strong understanding and application of accounting and regulatory principles within a college environment and involves interfacing with students to provide excellent customer service.

As the Veteran's Benefits Coordinator, this position will also serve as a School Certifying Official who is responsible for staying up to date on all federal, state, and University wide programs, reporting, and compliance requirements in order to advise prospective and enrolled students, parents, and campus members regarding educational benefits.

This individual is an experienced professional familiar with student records-based concepts who knows how to apply theory and put it into practice with in-depth understanding of the accounting field. This position maintains all student financial records, prepares the department for audits, and ensures all tasks are completed timely and in compliance with current internal and external regulations.

The Student Accounts Specialist/VA Coordinator should exhibit professionalism and trustworthiness at all times. They should have excellent communication skills, as well as an ability to work independently and find solutions to complex problems. The position involves strict attention to detail, excellent organization and communication skills, a proactive problem-solving attitude, all within a student-centered learning environment.

Responsibilities

• Post institutional charges to student accounts in an accurate and timely manner, including: period charges, course fail charges, course withdrawal charges, transfer credits, etc.
• Perform all invoicing and collections related activities, involving posting and reconciliation of outstanding payments, preparation of payment plans and outstanding billings, invoicing both students as well as third party agencies (such as the VA) for tuition and fee billing, payment processing, receivables management, installment payments, and disbursement of financial aid/credit balance refunds
• Monitor student withdrawals or status changes and perform appropriate refund calculations or adjustments in a timely and accurate manner in accordance with university policies and procedures
• Perform all necessary tasks for closing student accounts upon student completion i/a/w school policy
• Provide reports, maintain electronic records, utilize student e-commerce systems, and regularly communicate with private and public funding agencies on behalf of the school's accounting office in order to ensure student accounts are appropriately funded
• Validate, post and reconcile batch transaction postings within QuickBooks
• Manage VA program billing details, tracking of third-party transactions, and resolving benefit payment discrepancies with the Department of Veteran's Affairs
• Develop appropriate processes and procedures to ensure compliance with external agency regulations including Title IV regulations
• Review data entered through the Enrollment Manager online system to verify benefit confirmation for VA payment and verify electronic certifications and changes as required
• Maintain master list, updating it daily with new certifications and marking once verifications have been completed and edit benefits that are incorrect or have been changed
• Communicate benefit amounts to students and provide advisement to students on the VA contract process for VA Educational Benefits
• Establish and manage payment channels for education related expenses and oversee refund, cash receipt, and bank deposit operations/reconciliations for the accounting office
• Coordinate general collection outreach efforts via email, mail, telephone, and other emerging communication technology platforms, including maintaining and tracking collection account efforts – processing and recording payments, performing monthly reconciliations and
• Provide additional information to students as requested in a timely manner such as finance related letters, statements, notices, and electronic communications as necessary
• Work closely with the office of financial aid to ensure the timely application of financial aid to students' accounts and be proactive in addressing the financial aid funding, working within student and family financial challenges, and finding satisfactory resolutions
• Work with members of the accounting and financial aid departments to routinely audit and reconcile transactions stored in different systems
• Responding to calls, emails, and inquiries from families, students, campus departments, & external agencies
• Create, develop, and implement new processes to streamline and increase efficiency and effectiveness in the Accounting Office
• All other duties assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Accounting or Business Administration or related field.
• Five years of increasingly responsible experience in financial aid, student services, or Veterans Affairs office in an educational institution is desired
• Preferred experience working in or familiarity with a Veterans Affairs Program and a working knowledge of veteran programs and procedures as well as familiarity with 3rd party billing, VA refunding, and accounting/auditing/reconciliation principles and practices
• Understanding of basic principles of finance, accounting, and bookkeeping
• Excellent interpersonal, customer service, organizational, time management, and communication skills with a particular attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple tasks with competing priorities
• Exhibits professionalism, strong work ethics, honesty, integrity, courtesy and respect in all dealings with students, guests, or others with whom the school conducts business.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to the climate and culture of the campus, while also developing a thorough knowledge of procedures, policies and processes.
• High-level of personal integrity, patience, and positive attitude
• Must be willing to work in a fast-paced environment and be capable of working independently as well as working in conjunction with others to foster a team-oriented environment
• Proficient in QuickBooks Online, MS Office applications including Word, Outlook, and Excel, as well as Google Drive

Nature of Work

• This is an hourly position with a working schedule of 40 hours per week. The regular work schedule is intended to be from 9am to 6pm, Mondays-Fridays, but may alter depending on need.
• This position is in-person

Benefits Summary

• Paid Sick Leave: 40 hours of paid sick leave for each calendar year
• Paid Vacation: 40 hours of paid vacation for the first year of employment, followed by 80 hours of paid vacation for the second year of employment onward. Vacation hours are accrued each term following the 90 day introductory period.
• Paid Holidays: Total of 7 paid holidays throughout the calendar year, eligible after the 90 day introductory period.
• Health Insurance: The school offers both PPO and HMO insurance plans where up to $380 of the monthly insurance premium is covered by the school.
• 401(k): Following the first year of employment and 1000 hours of services, employees may participate in the school's 401(k) plan.