Financial Aid Counselor – Clinical Sciences

compliance with federal regulations and private loan requirements.

Serving as a trusted advisor, the Counselor plays a key role in the student journey, offering proactive financial guidance from the point of clinical sciences through graduation. The Counselor ensures students understand their financial aid eligibility, creditworthiness, borrowing responsibilities, and long-term repayment obligations. This position is central to promoting financial literacy and preparing students for responsible borrowing and successful loan repayment.

This role will report to the Associate Director of Financial Aid.

Responsibilities

Student Counseling & Advisement

• Provide one-on-one counseling to Clinical Sciences students on federal and private loan programs, including eligibility, application requirements, and disbursement timelines.
• Deliver credit counseling to educate students on creditworthiness, credit reports, and how personal credit history impacts loan approval and borrowing capacity.
• Provide private loan counseling, ensuring students fully understand terms, lender requirements, repayment obligations, and potential risks.
• Offer debt management counseling, equipping students and graduates with repayment strategies, budgeting techniques, and financial literacy tools to reduce long-term loan burden.
• Guide students through federal entrance and exit loan counseling, ensuring regulatory compliance and student awareness.
• Counsel students on financial planning for tuition, living expenses, and academic progression.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned students, providing timely responses within 24-48 hours and escalating cases as needed.
• Document all student interactions in RHACOMM (Banner) and Salesforce, ensuring accurate case tracking and compliance.

Application Processing & Loan Certification

• Review and evaluate ISIRs and supporting documentation to determine aid eligibility and resolve conflicting information.
• Package federal and private student loans in compliance with Department of Education and lender regulations.
• Process cost of attendance adjustments, budget increases, and revisions as needed.
• Certify private loans and monitor pending or denied applications to ensure resolution.

Financial Literacy & Student Journey Integration

• Develop and present financial literacy programming for Clinical Sciences students at orientations, webinars, and class meetings.
• Provide proactive counseling at key academic milestones: pre-matriculation, mid-program, and pre-graduation.
• Educate students on responsible borrowing, repayment options, and long-term financial planning.
• Track completion of loan counseling modules and ensure compliance with federal and institutional deadlines.

Compliance & Collaboration

• Maintain compliance with Title IV regulations, FERPA, COD, NSLDS, and lender requirements.
• Partner with Admissions, Registrar, Bursar, and Student Affairs to ensure aid processes align with enrollment and billing.
• Support audit preparation by ensuring records and student communications are complete, accurate, and accessible.
• Remain current on federal and private loan policies, debt management practices, and financial aid trends.

Operational Support

• Analyze financial aid and enrollment reports to monitor loan eligibility, disbursement accuracy, and compliance.
• Provide administrative and communication support for department initiatives, outreach campaigns, and regulatory reporting.
• Serve as a liaison to lenders and loan servicers to support students' borrowing and repayment experience.

Other Duties

• Provide coverage for core functions as needed to ensure uninterrupted service to students.
• Perform other duties and special projects assigned by leadership.

This description is not intended to be all-inclusive. This position may perform other related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the department/institution.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of federal loan programs, private loan processing, credit counseling, and debt management strategies.
• Excellent counseling and advising skills, with the ability to connect with students and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Proficiency in Banner (RHACOMM), Salesforce, NSLDS, COD, and Microsoft Office 365.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills with high attention to detail.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills; comfortable engaging with individuals and large groups.
• Ability to manage sensitive financial and personal information with discretion and professionalism.
• Commitment to financial literacy education and integration of financial aid into the student journey.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum 1-3 years of financial aid experience, preferably in higher education.
• Experience in credit counseling, private loan counseling, and debt management counseling strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Title IV, NSLDS, COD, and private loan certification processes.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

• Professional office setting with frequent use of computers, phones, and office equipment.
• Ability to focus in a high-volume, student-facing environment with frequent interruptions.
• Primarily sedentary role requiring attention to detail and accuracy.

Hours & Travel

• Standard work week: 37.5 hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
• Flexibility for evenings and weekends during peak periods.
• Occasional travel for orientations, admissions events, or student outreach may be required.

The anticipated salary range for the Financial Aid Counselor – Clinical Sciences is $65,000 - $70,000 per year. The final salary offered may vary and will be determined based on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, location, and education of the successful candidate. This information is provided per NYS local law.