Student Support Specialist

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

ID: 7142232 (Ref.No. BSU36905)
Posted: April 26, 2023
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

The Student Support Specialist is part of the centralized team within Cardinal Central that provides a student-focused approach to quality service to provide an exceptional, seamless service experience that supports student success and institutional goals of recruitment, retention, and graduation. This position is crossed-trained to provide front-line support to students (prospective, current, former, alumni), parents/families, and other campus community members in the areas of University Registrar, Financial Aid and Scholarships, and the Student Financial Services (Bursar). This position answers questions for a significant breadth and depth related to the offices and facilitate transactions. The Specialist is the first level of student contact where personal interaction and problem solution begins, providing specialized information and responding to inquiries, acting as a triage for complex enrollment issues, solving end to end issues, and elevation complex issues to the appropriate Specialists and/or Advisors in the office that support the Center.

Cardinal Central is seeking a customer service-driven individual to provide a student-focused, seamless service experience. The Specialist is the first level of student contact where personal interaction and problem solutions begin, providing general information and inquiries and will act as a triage for complex enrollment issues. The Specialist will be a part of a collaborative team, who together will provide excellent customer service to students and the campus community.

Multiple vacancies may be filled from this posting.

Job Function:

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business related area.

Minimum Experience:

Over one through three years of experience in student support, or over five years of customer service experience.

Preferred Experience:

Extensive customer service experience; additional years of related experience.
Experience in one of the areas that we serve ( Student Financial Services (Bursar), Registrar, Financial Aid & Scholarships)

Duties and Responsibilities:

Counsel and advise students and parents regarding in-depth financial aid questions concerning FAFSA completion, financial aid eligibility, cost of attendance, expected family contribution, types of aid and disbursement processing. Proactively reach out to students before next term’s registration to initiate contact and respond to any questions. Use Salesforce communication tool to accurately reflect interactions with students for recordkeeping purposes. Types of interactions include but are not limited to emails, calls, walk-ins, virtual appointments, chat rooms, and service tickets.
Counsel students requesting to withdraw from or not to return to the University. Investigate reasons why students are requesting to leave and identify solutions and campus resources that may assist in their persistence.
Use proactive approach with outreach and engagement efforts as necessary for prospective students, current students, and parents as appropriate.
Advise and problem solve with students on a variety of registration, enrollment, and records issues. Includes but is not limited to Withdrawals, navigating SSB, grade appeals (as they apply to holds/probations/grant and loan consequences), and reaffirmations.
Review and process requests for academic information including transcripts, certification of enrollment, letters of academic standing, and insurance third-party enrollment verifications.
Collect financial aid appeals, verification, and other requested documentation, ensuring all documents required are sufficient and complete.
Review, analyze, and interpret student account activity (Ebills), credits, debits, adjustments, and statements in order to be able to respond to student inquiries.
Respond to inquiries in person, by phone, and email timely and with accuracy using excellent customer service skills. Enforce Proxy rules in order to stay in compliance with FERPA.
Provide exceptional customer service; determine student’s needs in a professional, courteous manner, and resolve issues proactively; provide accurate information after careful analysis of the appropriate CASHNet/Banner screens; establish mutually acceptable payment arrangements; calculate deferment options; process all payments on day received with accuracy.
Investigate eligibility and disbursement issues related to federal, state, institutional and private sources of assistance including, but not limited to loans, grants, scholarships, and federal work-study.
Determine when an exception is warranted or a late or deferment fee should be waived or the issue should be escalated to the Appeals Committee.
Advise students and parents regarding charges, financial refunds, set up of direct deposit accounts, and timing of refunds.
Perform other cashiering transactions; count safe and drawers; operate safe and alarm.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Maintain regular and predictable attendance.

At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do. Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.

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