Financial Aid Counselor

About the role

The Financial Aid Counselor supports the University's mission and objectives by assisting students and their families with financial aid guidance and applications. The role involves delivering personalized care and handling various aspects of financial aid.

Responsibilities

• Expertly counsel and guide students and families on financial aid programs, application procedures, and eligibility criteria.
• Conduct one-on-one advising sessions to address individual financial circumstances and develop comprehensive financial plans.
• Serve as a central liaison with undergraduate and graduate admissions offices for recruitment, housing, scholarships, student employment, payment plans, and other financial matters.
• Apply high levels of discretion and discernment when capturing student details and issuing alerts through Navigate360.
• Communicate with academic units regarding registration issues for students requesting financial aid.
• Conduct financial aid presentations and workshops for prospective and current students.
• Cultivate financial literacy by enhancing students' understanding of budgeting, loan management, and financial responsibility.
• Respond promptly to inquiries from students, parents, and colleagues regarding financial aid matters.
• Manage telephone, in-person walk-in appointments, and email workflow.
• Foster a positive and supportive environment by actively listening to concerns and providing clear and empathetic communication.

Qualifications

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, mathematics education, or related field required; a minor in communications or education preferred.
• Experience: 1+ years of experience in finance, customer service, or related field required. Aptitude for learning financial aid procedures, regulations, and practices is essential.

Essential Competencies

• Customer Service Orientation: Keeps internal and/or external stakeholders in mind at all times.
• Professionalism: Displays a high level of professionalism, including timeliness, reliability, communication, and work ethic.
• Christ-first Faith: Provides spiritual support to community members, including students, on their Christian faith journey.
• Adaptable/Flexibility: Ability to change or adjust to change.
• Analytical Thinking & Decision Making: Identifies and understands trends and/or issues, connects data points through analysis, and makes actionable strategies.
• Attention to Detail: Ability to efficiently and accurately focus on specific tasks or multiple tasks with a critical eye.
• Business & Financial/Budget Acumen: Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of financial concepts, accounting, marketing, and organizational functions.
• Confidentiality: Maintains necessary confidentiality and discretion required for the position.
• Conflict Management: Functions professionally and wisely during difficult conversations, under stress, and managing challenging situations.
• Effective Communication: Expresses ideas and information clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well-articulated messaging across a wide variety of audiences.
• Establishes Trust: Gains the confidence of others through actions and words that promote honesty, forthrightness, and vulnerability.
• Problem-solving: Anticipates, evaluates, diagnoses, and resolves problems systematically and based on facts.
• Project and Time Management: Effective planning and priority setting, ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Creates a climate that fosters commitment to a common vision and shared values promoting cooperation and working together through trust and support of others both departmentally and cross-functionally.
• Technology: Strong aptitude to learn new technologies as department processes evolve.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work non-routine hours during certain times of the year.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time.