School Certifying Official

SCHOOL CERTIFYING OFFICIAL

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

General Responsibilities:

This position supports the accurate and timely certification of VA education benefits for a large and growing population of military-connected students. The role processes thousands of certifications annually across multiple VA benefit programs and requires strict adherence to federal compliance standards and audit readiness. Certifying Officials monitor enrollment changes, academic progress, and financial discrepancies to prevent VA debt and ensure institutional compliance. The work is deadline-driven, with peak activity at the start of each term, during add/drop, and at graduation. Strong attention to detail, organization, and the ability to manage competing priorities are essential, as errors can directly impact student finances. The position works closely with campus partners and VA representatives to resolve complex cases. As part of Student Affairs, this role also contributes to planning and supporting student-centered programs and initiatives that promote engagement, retention, and success for military-connected students. The addition of a third Certifying Official ensures workload sustainability, timely processing, and continuity of service during peak periods and staff absences.

Veteran Services supports a large and growing military-connected student population and processes thousands of VA certifications annually. The addition of a School Certifying Official will provide necessary capacity to maintain timely benefit processing, federal compliance, audit readiness, and continuity of service during peak certification periods and staff absences. The position will also increase the department's capacity to support student engagement, retention, and programming responsibilities within Student Affairs.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Certifies enrollments and reports status changes in Enrollment Manager.

2. Counsels students on eligibility.

3. Supports student-centered programs, events, and initiatives.

4. Identifies and resolves veteran- and dependent-specific issues.

5. Primary point of contact.

6. Maintains accurate and compliant VA student records.

7. Monitors academic progress, GPA, enrollment, and financial aid to prevent overpayments.

8. Verifies and reconciles documentation between student information systems and Enrollment Manager.

9. Prepares compliance reports and verifies GI Bill payments prior to account posting.

10. Counsels students, parents, dependents, and Guard/Reserve partners on benefit eligibility and programs.

11. Performs other duties as assigned.

Salary Pay Range: $40,000 - $50,000

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and two (2) years of related experience required. Work experience may substitute for the education requirement.

Licenses / Certifications / Registrations:

Must complete U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Online School Official Training.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities:

• Experience working with VA education benefits, student information systems, and database-driven workflows is preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with compliance-driven processes, record auditing, data entry accuracy, and Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook) is strongly preferred.
• Experience interpreting federal or state regulations and applying them consistently is beneficial.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and time management are essential.
• Demonstrate clear written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, problem-solving ability, and the capacity to manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Customer service skills, professionalism, discretion, and the ability to work collaboratively across departments are highly valued.

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, and veteran's status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB's Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.