Position Summary

The Office of the Vice Provost of Enrollment and Academic Strategic Planning is seeking a Spartan One-Stop (SOS) Solution Specialist to provide an integrated student service experience including financial aid, student accounts, and registrar. The SOS Solution Specialist is positioned to counsel, coach and advise students on inquiries regarding student service needs. This position will provide a progressive, personalized, and simplified student experience through a culture that supports student success and retention, customer service, and student satisfaction. This candidate will have strong skills in communication, customer service, networking, and problem solving. This candidate should be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and be competent in learning new student service technologies. This will be a hybrid position working both remotely and on campus. 

 Responsibilities

• Provide a first in-class student service experience via various engagement modalities (in-person, online, and by phone).
• Counsel, advise, investigate, problem-solve, and resolve inquiries for students, families, faculty, and staff.
• Act as a case manager, consider a holistic view of student service matters, being proactive to identify easily anticipated issues that might present obstacles to enrollment for students, and provide routine follow up with students to ensure resolution of inquiries.
• Collaborate with campus partners for the resolution of student inquiries and problems, with a focus on customer service.
• Act as a facilitator to resolve students' service inquiries including the Office of Financial Aid, Office of the Registrar, and Student Accounts.
• Maintain current knowledge on regulations, procedure, and policies for student service functions across the Office of Financial Aid, Office of the Registrar, and Student Accounts.
• Utilize relevant student information technologies to deliver services and engage in regular training on various systems including but not limited to Student Integrated Systems (SIS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Slate, Transact, etc.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues across academic and student service units to ensure compliance with federal, state, and university regulations.
• Using knowledge of federal, state, and institutional policies to interpret and make decisions on necessary exceptions.  

Financial Aid

• Analyze and interpret complex financial documents to determine overall Federal, state, and institutional aid eligibility. Understand and apply Federal Methodology (FM) as it relates to determining overall student need.
• Analyze family and student financial and demographic data from tax returns and financial needs analysis documents to determine eligibility for financial assistance by applying a complex body of knowledge along with exercising independent professional judgment.
• Resolve problems, revise aid, and inform students of their status and the impact of changes regarding their financial aid packages.
• Determine when exceptions to federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations can be made in awarding financial aid monies.
• Serve as a resource to other professional and clerical staff members in interpreting financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Verify, analyze, explain, and clarify to students and families on packaging guidelines, eligibility, budgeting, loan indebtedness, registration bills, billing adjustments, and dropping and adding credits.

Registrar

• Access, view, verify, analyze, and enter data into the student information system.
• Interpret and explain university policies and procedures pertaining to all applicable functional areas within the Office of the Registrar, including the specific application for individual students.
• Perform intermediate-level issue analysis for customers (students, parents, faculty, staff, etc.) via phone, email, in person and remotely for all applicable functional areas within the Office of the Registrar.
• Execute basic-level issue resolution for all applicable functional areas within the Office of the Registrar
• Applicable functional areas within the Office of the Registrar include:
  • Degree progression: degree requirements, conferral practices, diploma processing, commencement activities
  • Registration and enrollment services: course deadlines, enrollment actions such as adding and dropping courses, shopping cart, enrollment appointments, seat reserves, waitlists, term dates, enrollment, and degree verifications
  • Readmission and Lifelong: readmission application status, Lifelong admission policies and status
  • Records management: grades, honors and Dean’s List, transcripts, education abroad, academic standing
  • Fee classification: application, waivers
  • Transcript evaluation and transfer credit: application status, course equivalencies, test credit, reverse transfer, international evaluations
  • Classroom Scheduling: event scheduling and reservations, final examinations
• Fulfill transcript requests from students and campus while adhering to university policy and maintaining FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act) compliance.
• View and interpret student information found within numerous systems: Academic Programs, Administrative Action Forms, Electronic Student Academic Folder, RO Internal Forms, Instructor Systems, Readmission Applications, Requests for Reinstatement, Student-Instructor Form System, Transfer Credit Administrative Forms, Paradigm, and the multiple Student Information System screens such as Student Services Center, External Education, Transcript Request, Residency, Term History, Class Search, Degree Clearance Search.

Student Accounts

• Analyze, inform, and resolve problems regarding students' bills, charges, or credits (including their refund’s status).
• Evaluate, determine, and process eligibility for late fee waivers, past due hold service indicators, and transcripts overrides.
• Serve as a resource to students and parents in setting up payment and/or payment plan options.

We seek candidates with integrity and a strong work ethic who understand what it takes to continuously improve and maintain projects within a major academic research institution. 

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a two-year college degree program with one year of applicable experience or a minimum of three years of expansive work experience in customer service and/or a higher education institution. Ability to meet expectations in a fast-paced and dynamic customer-oriented environment with flexibility to accommodate adjusting priorities. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, critical thinking, and administrative skills.

Desired Qualifications

Michigan State University seeks an experienced student services professional. Preference will be given to candidates with position-related experience in Student Accounts, Registrar, Financial Aid, and Admissions. Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Contact information for three (3) professional references
• Professional writing sample base on writing prompt below

Special Instructions

SSI Writing Prompt: A transfer student is newly admitted to MSU for the Fall semester and wants to know how they can afford college.  The student is seeking a bachelor's degree in Natural Science, plans to stay on campus, and has a Student Aid Index of 0.  Please explain how you would advise this student.  Where did you get your sources?  

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

CAREERS.MSU.EDU

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends May 12, 2026 at 11:55 P.M.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

Connections working at Michigan State University