Bellingham Technical College

$4,250.00 Monthly

Full-Time Classified

Student Financial Resources

8/4/2025 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada); Tijuana

SALARY:
Effective July 1, 2025, the salary is in accordance with the negotiated agreement with the Bellingham Education Support Team (BEST), Range 7, $4,250 per month ($24.42 per hour, $51,000 annual), with annual increments.

SUMMARY:
The Financial Aid Assistant IV at BTC offers great customer service to students and staff at the Financial Aid front desk.  This position responds to inquiries regarding office policies and procedures in person, by phone and email; assists students with all aspects of applying for financial aid and maintaining eligibility.  If you are a person who is reliable, has great customer service skills, can work in a regulatory environment and wants to make a difference to students and staff in the Bellingham community, then please submit your application for our open position.

DESCRIPTION:
Bellingham Technical College invites applications for one full-time, regular classified position as Financial Aid Assistant IV for the Student Financial Resources office. Position is anticipated to begin about September 15th, 2025. This position reports to the Associate Director of Student Financial Resources.

The Financial Aid Assistant IV serves as the primary point of contact for students and staff by providing direct customer service at the front desk during business hours; responds to inquiries regarding office policies and procedures in person, by phone and email; assists students with all aspects of applying for financial aid and maintaining eligibility; and may coordinate one or more financial aid or scholarship programs or operational processes. This position requires strong customer service skills, utilizes higher level technical skills while exercising independent judgment in applying financial aid regulations, and under general supervision, performs a variety of more complex clerical tasks.

Bellingham Technical College is committed to recruiting dedicated faculty and staff who together create a welcoming academic climate that reflects the diverse backgrounds of our community, including ethnicity, national origin, religion, race, gender, gender identity, age, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, disability, political status, and sexual orientation. The successful candidate will be expected to establish a successful and supportive learning environment for a diverse college student population with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

Position Duties & Responsibilities

•    Serve as primary contact for students, staff and other agencies via phone, email, and in-person customer service at the front desk; provide information regarding program policies; perform a variety of public relations functions;
•    Research the status of student financial aid applications and answer student questions and concerns regarding financial aid and Workforce funding awards and issues;
•    Thoroughly review and accept student documents, scan and file documents in an electronic filing system, and update and maintain student records;
•    Assist students and families with FAFSA/WASFA application completion, answer questions regarding required contributors, tax information, and consent;
•    With minimal direction, make decisions relative to areas of assigned responsibility;
•    Provide input regarding policies and procedural decisions that pertain to area of responsibility;
•    Verify eligibility for various awards with local, state, or federal sources;
•    Generate reports and conduct reconciliation activities on a monthly basis;
•    Conduct data entry for Workforce grant programs and student tracking;
•    Build student profiles for scholarship processing and post award amounts;
•    Perform more complex word processing and data entry tasks;
•    Operate standard office equipment such as PC's, calculators, FAX, copy machine, and scanners;
•    Provide excellent customer service by listening attentively, responding professionally, demonstrating empathy, effectively managing difficult communications, and exercising professionalism and confidentiality in all communications.
•    Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
•    High school graduation or equivalent AND minimum three years of applicable experience such as problem solving, managing projects and deadlines, strong computer skills, and customer service.
OR
•    Associates degree or higher AND minimum one year of applicable experience such as problem solving, managing projects and deadlines, strong computer skills, and customer service.
OR
•    Education and experience equivalent to one of the two requirements listed above.

Preferred Qualifications:
•    One year of work experience in a financial aid setting;
•    Associates Degree or higher;
•    Experience using computer applications such as PeopleSoft, Banner, or SBCTC Legacy systems

Physical Work Environment:
Shared office setting which requires the ability to position self and operate a computer for long periods of time during the work shift; Regular keyboarding and using a computer mouse or equivalent assistive technology; Frequent need for oral, written, and auditory communication; Ability to position self and move up to 10 pounds with or without accommodation; Working in an open office environment with frequent interruptions and distractions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below represent the characteristics and essential performance expectations of the position. Applicants do not necessarily need to enter the position with all of these knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Knowledge of:
•    Program, and college policies and procedures;
•    Working knowledge of general office equipment;
•    Applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.  
 
Skill:
•    Strong computer skills, and accurate computerized data entry using the college's systems/programs including word processing, database management, and developing spreadsheets;
•    Strong team building skills;
•    Strong organization skills;
•    Skill in and accuracy with detail work, filing documents, and proofreading skills;
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
•    Confidentiality and professionalism;
•    Exercising independent judgment in gathering, arranging, and evaluating, diversified data.
 
Ability to:
•    Work independently and as a part of a team;
•    Communicate in a positive manner with diverse populations of students;
•    Effectively diffuse highly emotional incidents;
•    Exercise problem solving skills and complete detailed work including mathematical computation duties with a high degree of accuracy;
•    Perform job tasks using a variety of computer systems and electronic records, with or without accommodation;
•    Position oneself for long periods of time;
•    Utilize organizational skills and manage a high-volume workload.

Supplemental Information

Compensation and Work Schedule:
Effective July 1, 2025, the salary is in accordance with the negotiated agreement with the Bellingham Education Support Team (BEST), Range 7, $4,250 per month ($24.42 per hour, $51,000 annual), with annual increments.

 These position(s) receive 8 hours per month of sick leave, start out at 10.67 hours per month of vacation leave, 24 hours of personal leave per calendar year, and 12 paid state/college holidays per calendar year.  Benefits also include a Washington State insurance package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability; a retirement benefits package, with choice between the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 or Plan 3 (Note: Current, retired or former members of a Washington State Retirement System plan should contact HR for their specific retirement options). Additional optional benefits include ability to participate in a medical Flexible Spending plan, Limited Purpose Flexible Spending plan, or Health Savings Account; Dependent Care Assistance; discounts for automobile and homeowner insurance; tuition waiver; two voluntary investment (not matched) programs - TIAA (403b) or the State Deferred Compensation (457) plan; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); up to 21 days of military leave; up to 5 days of paid bereavement leave, up to 3 days of paid parental/adoption leave, paid civil/jury duty, ability to participate in a shared leave program; up to 2 days of unpaid holiday for reasons of faith or conscience. NOTE: Benefits and compensation are subject to collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Bellingham Educational Support Team (BEST).  Current BEST CBA and benefits are for period of July 1, 2023-June 30, 2026.    
 
The regular work schedule is generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but may be scheduled during the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. work day; schedule could vary, especially around quarter start and end and peak dates, and may require some overtime hours. The position will be expected to work onsite full-time.

Application Procedures and Deadline:
Required application materials must be completed and submitted online at http://www.btc.edu/jobs and received by 5 p.m. on August 4, 2025 for priority consideration. Application materials received after this date and time may be considered until the position is filled. More information about Bellingham Technical College is at www.btc.edu or contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 752-8354. You will be contacted if selected for an interview. At this time, BTC is not sponsoring H-1B Visa's.
 
Required Online Application Materials:
•    Completed Online BTC Employment Application
•    Online Supplemental Questions

Examination Requirements:
All applicants are required to complete the online Supplemental Questions, which will be scored. Each supplemental question must have an answer to be scored.  Be sure to repeat information in a supplemental question if it is required by more than one question. Software such as Microsoft Office Software, and/or other examinations may be administered for finalists.

Bargaining Unit:
The position has been designated as a bargaining unit position represented by the Bellingham Educational Support Team (BEST).

Interviews are anticipated to be held between 8/19/25-8/21/25.

The application package and all materials submitted with it become the property of the college and will not be returned or considered for additional or future openings.

Mission: Bellingham Technical College provides student-centered, high-quality professional technical education for today's needs and tomorrow's opportunities.

Employment Eligibility Verification: Bellingham Technical College employs only United States citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the Department of Homeland Security.

Bellingham Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, national origin, age, religion, disability, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, pregnancy, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its programs, activities, and services. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies/Section 504: Allison Mack, Director for Human Resources, 360.752.8354, or hr@btc.edu. For Title IX compliance, contact: Michele Waltz, Vice President of Student Services, 360.752.8440, or title9@btc.edu. Mailing address: 3028 Lindbergh Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. BTC publications are available in alternate formats upon request by contacting the Accessibility Resources office at 360.752.8576