The Student Financial Services Analyst is accountable for accounting for and reporting of student revenue and receivables, acting as a functional expert in relation to the student information system, having a strong knowledge of the financial system and preparing reconciliations of student revenue and receivables as recorded in these two systems. This role is also responsible for recommending process improvements in the team’s work and providing support and training to other staff within the Student Financial Services team.
Responsibilities
Accounting for and reporting of student revenue and receivables
- Account for and report on student revenue and receivables, which are material amounts in the University’s financial statements, as follows:
- Apply a strong understanding of system-based processes within the student information system to ensure that transactions originating in the student information system are processed as expected in the student information system. These transactions are interfaced to the financial system and the University’s requirements for accounting for and reporting on student revenue and receivables from that system should also be considered when considering system-based processes within the student information system
- Apply a strong understanding of the financial system, generally accepted accounting principles and the University’s requirements for accounting for and reporting on student revenue and receivables to complete required accounting for student revenue and receivables
- Prepare reconciliations between the revenues/receivables in the student information system and the financial system
- Analyze relevant account balances in the financial system and address discrepancies
- Address accounting requirements for the month-end and year end close processes, including responsibility to prepare specific year end working papers supporting the financial statement preparation
Execute and support daily operations of the Financial Student Services team
- Execute processes related to tuition assessment, student registration, UHIP administration and payroll payment plans
- Monitor and ensure the quality of student account information (amounts billed, amounts owing) and adjustments in the student system
- Manage the student refunding processes on the student information system
- Advise Student Financial Services Associates on complex, non-routine transactions
- Use judgment in applying knowledge of University policies and procedures and other published guidelines to Student Financial Services business processes
- Identify, recommend and implement improvements in business processes with a focus on improving the efficiency of operations and the accuracy of results while maintaining appropriate internal controls
- Provide a high quality, consistent level of customer service to students, parents and campus partners
Apply functional system expertise
- Collaborate with Finance, IST and other campus partners on system upgrades, including testing and ongoing maintenance of the student information system
- Advise on business case development for new initiatives or enhancement of existing use of the student financial system
- Prepare systems development requests
- Apply business and system knowledge to ensure accurate assessment of tuition and fees
Provide advice, training and direction on policies, procedures and best practices
- Keep current in advances in the industry and be familiar with new technology, using this knowledge to recommend improvements to existing processes.
- Apply a strong understanding of tuition and student fee assessment to be able to provide advice to and respond to inquiries of team members, students and campus partners as required
- Provide ongoing training and support to team members and campus partners on relevant processes and forms.
- Ensure effective and timely communication via emails, Portal, Student Financial Services web space and other campus communication tools
Qualifications
- University undergraduate degree, courses in accounting or business preferred
- Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in an accounting/finance related environment
- Previous experience in an enterprise wide computerized accounting environment
- Experience in a not-for-profit environment preferred
- Conceptual thinker who is able to research, investigate and analyze and recommend current and potential changes to business processes
- Outstanding customer service orientation
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Confident public speaker
- Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate
- Recognized as a team player who interacts respectfully and builds consensus
- High degree of discretion, judgement, tact and diplomacy
- Highly adaptable with a positive and progressive outlook
