Financial Aid Counselor

Provides professional, timely assistance regarding application completion and processes, general and program eligibility, and financial planning. Evaluates and analyzes information to determine applicants' eligibility for financial assistance and to determine type and amount of aid to be awarded in accordance with established standards and guidelines. Coordinates the awarding of all federal and state student aid funding, and university and/or private scholarships. Ensures compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures. Remains current regarding regulations, policies, and procedures affecting scholarships and financial aid, and conducts work fairly, equitably, and inclusively.

Responsibilities

• Service, Processing, and Communication
  • Advances processing and service workloads, ensuring balanced, timely, accurate, well-documented, equitable, and inclusive services within established benchmarks.
  • Provides timely, accurate, and complete information to students, parents, and colleagues.
  • Determines eligibility for scholarships and financial aid, including types and amounts awarded, following federal and university standards.
  • Resolves complex or novel situations encountered in processing and service work professionally.
  • Ensures professional delivery of services, maintaining data security, privacy, and confidentiality.
  • Follows records management procedures and complies with recordkeeping and archival requirements.
  • Communicates policies, procedures, rights, and responsibilities accurately, timely, and inclusively.
  • Completes complex reports to monitor service benchmarks, eligibility, and payment accuracy.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert, proactively advancing processing, service, and eligibility monitoring.
• Determining Student and Program Eligibility
  • Determines and conveys student and program eligibility requirements, resolving inquiries thoroughly and accurately.
  • Uses discretion within regulatory and policy constraints for verification, appeals, and special circumstances (e.g., loss of income, dependency override).
  • Applies verification and appeals policies accurately, consistently, fairly, and equitably.
  • Assists in developing office-wide policies, procedures, and calendars, ensuring content is current and accurate.
  • Monitors and adjusts student financial aid awards to ensure timeliness and accuracy.
• Regulatory and Policy Adherence
  • Maintains working knowledge of relevant internal and external systems.
  • Documents transactions, conversations, and interactions affecting student eligibility and compliance.
  • Adheres to all statutory, regulatory, and policy guidance, including office procedures.
  • Maintains privacy and confidentiality of student and family data.
  • Ensures security of student records and related information.
  • Actively contributes to overall office effectiveness.
• Training and Professional Development; Professionalism
  • Maintains current knowledge of policies, regulations, and technical standards for administering federal, state, institutional, and private programs.
  • Participates in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops; researches industry practices and shares knowledge with staff.
  • Ensures area policies and procedures are current and accurately documented.
  • Assists with financial aid outreach events, delivering information and responding to questions professionally.
  • Maintains professional appearance and demeanor when engaging with students, families, colleagues, and the public.
  • Assists in training new employees, including interns and graduate assistants.
• Overall Support of Office and Institutional Operations
  • Partners in monitoring office operations to ensure functionality, accessibility, efficiency, and compliance.
  • Reviews output and reports routinely for accuracy and compliance.
  • Follows established timelines and calendars for projects and tasks.
  • Serves on or oversees office committees (e.g., communications, appeals, outreach, personnel).
  • Advises management of anomalies, trends, or patterns affecting student and program eligibility.
  • Maintains effective working relationships and serves as a resource for scholarship and financial aid issues.
  • Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or Executive Director.
  • Collaborates with colleagues on policy, procedures, and training opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, or a related area (or equivalency: one year of education may substitute for two years of related work experience).
• Minimum of one year of experience in counseling, budgeting, public relations, or computer technology.
• Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.
• Ability to work with a diverse population of students and understand federal and state regulations and financial aid procedures.
• Potential to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Preferences

• Previous work experience in a higher education setting.

Pay

$50,000 - $51,916

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with some weekend and evening work as necessary.