The Associate Financial Aid Advisor role is responsible for providing best-in-class financing and financial aid support to Capella’s learners before, during, and after their program enrollment. This position will provide personalized interactions through different communication channels (phone, email, chat, text), and will coach learners through key decisions and solutions regarding funding their programs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Learner support, guidance, and empathy: provide learners with a positive experience and personal attention in inbound and outbound interactions.

• Team support and growth mindset: engage in larger team dialogue and brainstorming to improve team performance in a meaningful way, drive process improvements, and ability to provide learners highest quality experience.  Participate in initial training, ongoing team training, and focus groups to provide feedback on improvements.  Engage in the coaching process for improvement.

• Problem solving and solutions focus: Proactively assess learner needs to assist them in making fully informed decisions about their financing plans.

• Financing knowledge and expertise: assist learners in understanding and utilizing their financing plan to enable the most direct path to program completion. Provide financial literacy including but not limited to responsible borrowing, repayment, federal loan process, tuition reimbursement, and payment plan options.

• System knowledge and navigation: leverage tools, systems, and software applications to optimize learner engagement.

• Change management and continuous improvement: comfort level trying new concepts and learning new processes and systems to improve the learner and team experience.

Job Skills:

• Ability to provide and influence positive learner experience.

• Ability to think critically to build plans of action and personalized solutions for learners.

• Ability to learn and continuously build upon knowledge of financial aid and financing details and a broader understanding of the learner’s journey.

• Ability to form positive working relationships, communicate effectively, and foster team interactions.

• Fundamental understanding of FAST goals and university goals to support learners and meet support demand.

• Ability to drive results in a team environment.

• Create and foster a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive culture.

• Ability to demonstrate ethical judgment and adherence to financing/financial aid compliance needs in response to complex learner situations.

• Ability to uphold team brand and collaborate effectively across other departments at the university.

• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information. Demonstrate comfort with federal regulations and policies.

• Ability to prioritize and work through multiple learner situations at any time.

• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

• Excellent written and verbal communication.

• Effective time management skills, dependable and reliable.

Work Experience:

• 1+ year in financial aid contact role or customer experience support/advisor.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Other:

• Must be able to travel occasionally should a business need arise. For most roles travel would not be common. Travel may involve plane, car or metro. In accordance with ADA policies, reasonable accommodations regarding travel limitations can be provided. Travel will be more common for roles such as Account Executives (25 - 50%), senior leaders (10 – 20%) or Capella Core Faculty (5 – 10%). 

• Ability to work onsite in Corporate or Campus location (in a typical office environment) may be required based on role. If so, this would include being mobile within the office, including movement from floor-to-floor using elevators or stairs.

• If offsite or hybrid role, must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.

• Faculty and Federal Work Study roles require access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including computer, privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.

• This role may require lifting, however reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with our ADA policies.

• Must be able to meet critical thinking and problem-solving aspects aligned to job duties, as well as effectively communicating with co-workers.

• Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant. Accommodations related to schedule may be considered. 

• Able to access information using a computer.

• Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

• SEI is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive community. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary and benefits package.  The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at [email protected].