Student Accounts Representative

Salary: $16.83 - $21.63 Hourly
Location : Honolulu, Hawaii
Job Type: Staff - Regular Full Time Non-Exempt
Job Number: 02412
Department: CBO, Business Office
Opening Date: 07/18/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
Hawai'i Pacific University is designated as an Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian (ANNH) Serving Institution by the US Department of Education. As such, we strive for accurate displays of the Hawaiian language in all our institutional materials. This includes the appropriate use of diacritical marks such as the 'okina and kahako. Unfortunately, at times external vendors and other third-party technology integrations do not support the use of these characters. Mahalo for your understanding.
Description
Job Summary:
Provide excellent customer service and promote accuracy of student accounts in support of the dual objectives to optimize the student experience and minimize delinquent accounts. The incumbent will assist students, parents, guardians, external customers, and HPU staff/faculty via face-to-face, phone, email, and other forms of communication; perform cashiering functions; process account transactions including charges and refunds; and monitor and reconcile key metrics, accounts, and reports as directed.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• One (1) year of customer service experience.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite or equivalent software (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Business mathematics skills to include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and calculating percentages.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• Two (2) years of customer service experience.
• One (1) year of experience with enterprise accounting software, such as Ellucian (Banner), Transact (Cashnet), or related products.
• Experience handling financial account information, including accounts receivable, billing, or similar activity
• General understanding of basic accounting processing (summarizing, analyzing, and reporting transactions)
• Cash handling experience
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel or equivalent software (E.g., PivotTables, formulas, filter and sorting)

Other Qualifications:

• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship and relocation allowance is not available for this position.
• Candidate must be able to work as directed during HPU's Winter Break, if necessary.
• Must meet training and background check qualifications and comply with the Protection of Minors policy.
• Ability to work all shifts and extended hours, always communicating with supervisor if unable to attend work.
• Overtime may be required/authorized in order to assist in completing projects by assigned deadlines or due to extended office hours in peak seasons.

• Ability to handle customer service concerns and conflicts professionally, escalating to management as appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability working as a proactive and effective member of a team.

Key Responsibilities/Essential Job Functions:
1. Customer Service Support (65%)

• Communicate with students, parents, guardians, external customers, and HPU staff/faculty through in-person consultations, phone conversations, online video meetings, and written communications (email, mail, chat, etc.).
• Provide information on a variety of financial topics, ranging from tuition and fee calculations, billing and invoicing, payments, payment plans, refunds, collections, financial resources, and financial literacy. Connect students to resources related to financial aid, loans, scholarships, grants, and more. Provide information related to the university's 1098-T informational tax documents.
• Explain and enforce HPU's financial policies and procedures and consequences when balances are not paid in a timely manner.
• Audit, verify, and explain account balances to students and customers when they have questions about or dispute the amount owed.
• Compare payments to charges and explain any resulting balances or credits on their account.
• Participate in presentations and information sessions for new and returning students.
• Minimize number of unresolved outstanding inquiries through various channels (email, phone, voicemail, live chat, etc.).

2. Maintain Student Accounts (15%)

• Provide information regarding financial exceptions and/or forward information to supervisor, as appropriate.
• Process approved student tuition adjustments and authorized write-offs and settlement-in-full arrangements.
• Reconcile and update payment plans.
• Reconcile and update payments made and account balances for accounts placed with a third-party collection's agency.
• Detect and address errors on student accounts related to issues such as over-refunding, over-awarding of financial aid, or tuition calculation issues as appropriate.
• Assist as directed with processing third-party invoicing transactions and payments from third party payers.
• Process refunds. Assist with additional accounting and reconciliation tasks as directed (reconciling payment system to receivables system; receivables, allowance for bad debt, and bad debt expense accounting; returned payment reconciliations; and/or collections agency reconciliations, as assigned).
• Assist in preparing and analyzing student and third-party accounts to be assigned to collections and subject to other consequences, such as being dropped for nonpayment, ineligible to participate in graduation ceremonies, etc.
• Maintain detailed records of all customer interactions in university financial accounting system.

3. Perform cashiering duties (15%)

• Receipt payments (cash, check, cashier's check, money order, wire payments) from students and university depositors.
• Comply with university cashiering policies and procedures.
• Post payments to student accounts, contract accounts, or as miscellaneous receipts using established procedures and knowledge of payment activities.
• Assist in researching unidentified deposits.
• Assist university depositors in understanding deposit procedures and confirm appointments for check and cash deposit interactions from non-student payers.
• Close daily cashier session, compile required backup documentation, and review prepared deposits for accuracy.

4. Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Participate in software testing, evaluation, and process improvements.
• Consider, suggest, and develop improvements to business processes.
• Other activities, duties, and responsibilities may be required as assigned.

This description is not designed to list all activities, duties or responsibilities which may be required for this job. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned at any time.
Hawaii Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, equitable environment in which faculty and staff can excel irrespective of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, or any other protected class covered by state and federal law. Hawaii Pacific University encourages applications from veterans and individuals with disabilities. A pre-employment background investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.
We seek talented and energetic people who thrive on challenge and innovation in supporting the mission and values of our university. HPU offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.
01
Do you have a High School Diploma or equivalent?

• Yes
• No

02
Do you have one (1) year of customer service experience?

• Yes
• No

03
Do you have experience with Microsoft Office suite or equivalent software (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)?

• Yes
• No

04
Do you have business mathematics skills to include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and calculating percentages?

• Yes
• No

Required Question