Student Funding Support Officer / Student Finance Advisor

Job Title: Student Funding Support Officer

Location: Holborn, London

Salary: £19,000 per annum

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent

Closing Date: Monday 5th December 2016

Job Role

Having experienced massive success, including our recent Queen's Award for Enterprise (2013), the university is aiming to become one of the world's most respected providers of business education. With a growing presence on a global scale, coupled with continued plans for expansion, this is an excellent time to join our truly dynamic and innovative business.

The Student Funding Support Officer within the Vocational Recruitment Department, is responsible for ensuring that students are offered a high level of support and guidance with regards to matters related to Government assistance and support. They will be responsible for assisting prospective applicants and enrolled students with their student funding to make sure that they receive the funding support that they have applied for.

What they're looking for:

You will have some prior experience in call centre and customer services related environments, ideally B2C, and be able to work well under pressure to strict time deadlines as no two days are the same, tenacity and resilience are key! Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills are also essential.

Their students are the heart of the business so they are looking for people who are truly passionate about education, who will provide outstanding levels of customer service and excellence at all times!

What's in it for you?

• Become part of a growing and truly innovative business.
• Excellent training and development.
• Fast track career opportunities.
• Fast paced, dynamic and exciting team culture.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• To ensure that all applicants have made a funding application before they start their programme.
• Advise on any supporting documentation that is needed for a funding application to be approved/progressed.
• Assist enrolled students who require support with their student funding application.
• Identify key areas/issues as to why a student's funding application may not yet have been approved.
• Provide students and applicants with information about further financial support that they be entitled to receive, including (but not limited to) Grants, Childcare and Disability Allowance.
• Provide guidelines on processing times of all funding applications that are submitted.
• To make contact with all enrolled students who have not had their funding application approved and identify what the issue is.
• To liaise with internal admissions team members to identify an applicant's/students position on the finance "portal".
• To speak with a range of external parties (notably Student Loans Company (SLC)) in order to clarify an applicant's status for funding support.

To succeed in this role you will need:

• Demonstrable and significant experience of working in a Higher or Further Education context in a student-facing role.
• Knowledge of and commitment to ensuring access to learning and issues relating to disability, equality and diversity.
• Up to date and significant experience with Government funded initiatives.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work confidently and diplomatically with people at all levels, from students to senior management.
• A high level of numeracy with the ability to interpret and prepare statistical information.

Core Requirements:

• Excellent customer service skills.
• Previous experience in high volume call centre environments.
• Able to work in busy high volume and targeted environments.
• Proven experience working to tight deadlines.
• Customer service training is ideal; able to deal with difficult customers professionally
• Highly computer literate in MS Office Suite, experience using Outlook is essential.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build effective working relationships at all levels.
• Experienced problem solver.
• Ability to multi task and work well under pressure.

Desirable (but not essential, training is provided!):

• Ideally degree or HND educated
• Experience in Higher Education Student Support
• Understanding of student funding and Vocational studies application process

Please click the APPLY button to send your CV and Cover Letter for this role.

Candidates with experience of; Learning Support, Support Assistant, Learning Support Worker, LSA, Learning Guidance Advisor, LSW, Learning Support Assistant, Student Support, Learning Advisor, Learner Support, Guidance Advisor, Support Worker, Learning Assistant, Call centre, Customer Service, Customer Focus, Students, Student Advisor, Student Ambassador, Higher Education, Vocational Education, Careers Advisor, Employability will be considered for this role.