Higher Education Access Partner

PHEAA is a nonprofit student aid organization that holds a mission of providing affordable access to higher education.
 
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PHEAA is seeking a Higher Education Access Partner to join their growing team in our Pennsylvania School Services department!  This challenging and rewarding role is responsible for the promotion of PHEAA’s mission, programs, products and services to educational institutions, legislative and civic groups, customers, clients, and constituents in an assigned area of Pennsylvania and is visible as the image of PHEAA to the public. Candidates for this role must reside within the region this role will service. This fully remote position requires extensive travel and working outside of regular business hours.
 
Region: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Indiana, and Somerset counties. (Must live in proximity to these counties).

Salary: Grade 14 ($53,393 – $71,000)

Shift: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM -5:00 PM  100% Remote

Location: Headquarters- 1200 North 7^th Street Harrisburg PA 17102
 
Department: Pennsylvania School Service

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

Public Service

• Establish relationship and, using industry expertise, educates secondary educational institutions and community/ public service organizations in an assigned area.  There is special focus on the high schools, federal grants in which PHEAA plays a role in in-kind activities, low-income schools and schools that have a low percentage of students going on to higher education, as well as organizations that best reach our target audience, to create awareness of access to higher education.
• Assist key stakeholders in an assigned area with the coordination and delivery of training and programming regarding college access and financial aid.  There is special focus on enhancing collaboration among various customer groups to more effectively deliver services to our target audience.
• Establish and maintain relationships with financial aid offices at postsecondary institutions to share industry knowledge and assist with training initiatives and problem resolution for State and Federal programs administered by PHEAA on behalf of the Commonwealth and Federal Government.  Serves as liaison through personal visits, PASFAA meetings, regulatory updates and intra-Agency communications.
• Develop and maintain an effective working relationship with federal and state legislative offices, providing them with updated financial aid information and literature, technical assistance with constituent concerns, and participation at financial aid information sessions and similar events as needed; works collaboratively with in-house Legislative Affairs staff to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure effective communications.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of state and federal regulations, products, and services that govern access and processing of financial aid; participates in internal and external conference calls, webinars, and training initiatives on a regular basis
• Collaborate with business units throughout the Agency, in particular State Grant and Special Programs, Legal and Compliance Services, Web Products Management, and other departments within Public Affairs
• Conduct financial aid presentations and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion sessions (or computer lab settings) with students and/or parents and education on the college application and financial aid process.
• Conduct training (presentation or computer lab) at school counselor/teacher workshops or other areas as needed, related to the financial aid process, educationplanner.org, mysmartborrowing, or planning, preparing and paying for a higher education.
• Attend and exhibit at events such as college fairs and career fairs where information and materials are distributed to parents, students and the general public about preparing and paying for a college education.
• Recommend changes to the type and frequency of outreach services.
• Research and recommend changes to financial aid educational resources as it relates to the target audience.
• Keep abreast of competitor products and make recommendations on enhancements to our products.
• Promote PHEAA’s Student Loan Notification Tool to postsecondary institutions
• Promote all PA Forward Loan products

Other Duties and Responsibilities 

• Operate independently in terms of scheduling all visits, events and activities to be conducted with customers throughout the service area.
• Comply with the Agency’s enterprise security and privacy policies and departmental procedures.
• Document all completed activities in the SalesLogix database and through bi-weekly reports.
• Develop and analyze metrics to measure effectiveness of programs, products and services and make recommendations for improvements.
• Create or contribute to the development of different media to enhance outreach services.
• Perform any other duties and/or tasks that may be assigned to him/her on an as needed basis.

Required Skills

Bachelor’s degree and three to five years of experience in school counseling, education environment or public service role or any equivalent combination of experience, training, and/or certification(s).

• Demonstrated excellent public speaking skills with targeted market audience.
• Ability to engage, educate and encourage students/parents/guardians to consider higher education in a student’s future.
• Working knowledge of higher education processes (admissions, financial aid, etc.)
• Solid interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build rapport with diverse audiences.
• Experience presenting ideas (written and oral) and new complex concepts to individuals for the first time; to which the subject matter is foreign and complicated.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to quickly learn new financial aid software.
• Flexibility to perform work activities on evenings and weekends.
• Demonstrated ability to relate well and build rapport with a diverse audience from a variety different socioeconomic backgrounds, political environments, and educational institutions.

Preferred Qualifications: Working knowledge of regional issues (employment needs, economic environment, educational opportunities, barriers to higher education, etc.); Direct experience with financial aid administration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Ability to work flexible hours on weekends and evenings.
• Travel up to 80% is required.
• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record.
• Work independently and with very limited supervision.
• Must obtain and maintain (five-year renewal cycle) the following clearances:  1) Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), 2) Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of Services; and 3) fingerprint based criminal history submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police. 
• Must be able to use a personal computer.

ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Ability to develop and promote effective working relationships and communicate effectively with a variety of organizations with diverse needs through different avenues.
• Attentive listening skills to build rapport with audience and convey a relevant message that is understood.
• Ability to present financial aid material in a variety of settings, understood by a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and work independently, with limited supervision.
• Ability to represent PHEAA as needed to media outlets regarding financial aid related topics and PHEAA’s products and services.

PHEAA’s environment welcomes and supports our employees, customers, and stakeholders; we seek out and value differing perspectives and contributions.  

Required Experience

Bachelor’s degree and three to five years of experience in school counseling, education environment or public service role or any equivalent combination of experience, training, and/or certification(s).