Specialist III, Veterans Affairs

This job carries with it the obligation to uphold the Mission of Lone Star College (LSC) in carrying out the duties of the position. A commitment to positive interpersonal behaviors, professional communication, integrity, leadership, stewardship, respect and accountability to LSC students and employees is essential.

Cultural Beliefs

• One LSC
• Student Focused
• Own It
• Foster Belonging
• Cultivate Community
• Choose Learning

The Chronicle of Higher Education's "Great Colleges to Work For" is designed to recognize colleges that have been successful in creating great workplaces and to further research and understanding of the factors, dynamics and influences that have the most impact on organizational culture at higher education institutions.

Lone Star College has been recognized in multiple categories.

Lone Star College-System Office, University Park

Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 80,000+ students each semester. LSC has been named a 2023 Great Colleges to Work For institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College.

Lone Star College-System Office employees are based at one of two System Office locations; The Woodlands and University Park. Both are the site for multiple administrative departments and system-wide training programs.

Location address is 20515 SH 249 (SH 249 and Louetta Road) Houston, Texas 77070-2607.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE:

The Specialist III, Veterans Affairs will serve as a Certifying Official in the Veterans Affairs Center at Lone Star College. May be responsible for managing the eligibility provisions of VA Educational Programs available to veterans and their dependents for over six hundred students. The Specialist III will counsel and provide guidance to veterans and/or dependents for various educational assistance programs by interpreting federal, state and institutional regulations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Act as the official VA, TA, and MYCAA representative, and SOC liaison for LSC
2. Process information for students utilizing the Hazlewood exemption to pay for their tuition and help answer any questions about the exemption
3. Ensure VA applications and supporting documents to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are submitted properly and in accordance with the LSC policies and regulations
4. Manage, monitor & report certification requests, schedule degree plan changes, inapplicable courses, as well as financial issues for over 600 Veterans, Dependents, and Reservists
5. Create education plans for service members and spouses using Federal Tuition Assistance (TA) and My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) funding to meet SOC program requirements
6. Serve as the subject matter expert and providing information to Veterans, VA Liaison, Faculty and Staff
7. Perform miscellaneous functions necessary for the processing of benefits; maintain related records and files and ensure payments are processed to students or to the college
8. Review and analyze institutional and military transcripts as well as test scores to ensure student is in compliance with federal and state regulations; maintain adequate records to show progress of each veteran and eligible person
9. Advise eligible veterans, active duty personnel, and dependent students regarding enrolling in LSC and the process & requirements of the VA educational benefits, TA and MyCAA funding; review enrollment reports, manually checking on each student's enrollment status, advising the student, and notifying the relevant funding source as required by regulation
10. Perform liaison work between veteran students and other institutions to ensure supplemental VA certifications are processed according to VA rules and regulations
11. Collaborate with Student Accounting to ensure appropriate changes are made to military student accounts and confirm account accuracy; assist with federal and state audits
12. Complete attendance certifications monthly for VA benefits, keeping the VA informed of the enrollment status of veterans and other eligible persons using forms or (VAONCE)
13. Coordinates with many military entities to research and resolve student questions and concerns; maintain files on eligible students in compliance with DVA, DoD, SOC and MHEC regulations
14. Coordinator for community veteran resources and oversee veteran luncheons & resource fairs; manage all veteran student inquiries and information requests in all forms
15. Attend and represent LSC at TACVPO conference and regional VA conferences as requested
16. Interpret, clarify, explain and apply LSC policy and procedures, state laws & regulations
17. Responsible for other reasonable, related duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population
• Must be well organized and flexible to meet time, priority and workload demands
• Excellent written, computer, and verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to use and learn new software products
• Ability to work on multiple projects

PHYSICAL ABILITIES:

The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items, such as papers, books, or small parts; or driving an automobile. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

WORK SCHEDULE AND CONDITIONS:

• Equipment used includes, PC workstation running on a LAN in a Microsoft Windows environment, calculator, phone and other general office equipment
• Internal and external contacts as needed to carry out the functions of the position
• Work is performed in a climate-controlled office with minimal exposure to safety hazards

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma or GED and at least 3 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Hiring salary range is $33,540 - $38,571.

Lone Star College provides a hiring salary range for all posted full-time non-faculty positions. Where your salary offer would fall in that range is determined by your related experience and education. Should you receive an offer of employment from Lone Star College, the resume submitted in the application process will be utilized to calculate your salary offer. The information outlined below will provide the Office of Human Resources everything needed to determine an accurate starting salary.

Your resume should provide a complete picture of your work experience. The resume should include the following information for each position listed:

1. Length of time (specific months and years) of employment
2. If the position was full time or part time
3. If the position was paid or unpaid
4. Level of degree completed including date earned.
5. Unofficial transcript for highest earned degree

Additionally, any certifications listed as required or preferred in the Lone Star College job description should be included in the resume submitted.

By joining our top-notch institution, you will enjoy being a part of an organization that offers a supportive, collegial work environment and excellent work/life balance. This includes a full comprehensive and competitive benefits package, a generous number of paid holidays and vacation days, wellness programs, tuition waiver, professional development opportunities and more.

Go to the Job Search page, click on 'My Activities' at the top of the page. Under My Cover Letters and Attachments you will click on 'Add Attachment.' Please be sure to put the Job ID# in the title once you name your file for cover letters only, unless you attached your cover letter with your resume.

If you are applying for an Instructional position (i.e. Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Instructor), please ensure you include the following to be considered: Resume/CV, Cover Letter, Teaching Philosophy, and unofficial transcripts.

You must limit your file name for any attachment to 40 characters or less.

ALL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY ONLINE ONLY

We will not accept application material received via fax, email, mail, or hand delivered.

Postings for part-time and adjunct positions are active for the academic year. By selecting the option to receive notifications on your profile, you will begin receiving electronic communication regarding new opportunities with Lone Star College (LSC).

If selected for an interview, a recruiter will contact you by phone, or email to schedule an interview.

Lone Star College participates in the E-Verify program, under which Lone Star College provides the federal government with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm that the employee is authorized to work in the United States.

More information on the E-Verify program is available at www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.

Lone Star College is an EEO Employer. All positions are subject to a criminal background check.