"Financial Aid Counselor"

Position Overview

More than perhaps any other factor, the degree to which a university attracts and retains qualified students determines the success or failure of that institution. The Enrollment Management division is a key player in this activity and has a profound effect on the institution's success. Enrollment Management (EM) includes the following functional units: Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Enrollment Management, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Office of the University Registrar, Student Lifecycle Technology, Enrollment Marketing Communications, and Enrollment Management Services. The division is committed to developing a data-informed, forward-looking, comprehensive enrollment strategy that enables the institution to pursue strategic goals in an integrated and intentional manner.

The Financial Aid & Scholarships unit reports to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and serves students, families, and the community by providing federal, state, and institutional financial aid information and resources to assist students in achieving their educational goals. FAS is committed to providing quality financial aid services to its constituents while maintaining accountability in the administration of public, institutional, and private financial aid funds. Services are designed to support the educational goals of the individual student and the goals of the university as they relate to retention and graduation.

This position provides quality service to prospective and current students, requiring strong public communication and writing skills. Financial aid staff members must possess the ability to understand, interpret, and effectively administer and explain financial aid programs governed by the Federal Higher Education Amendments (HEOA), as well as other federal, state, institutional and private financial aid regulations and policies.

In addition to a competitive salary, KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, 9 paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a great retirement program, medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options and state of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers educational opportunities for employees.

Job Description

80% Financial Education

• Educates prospective and current students regarding school-related financial aid including the application and awarding process, budgeting and the securing of resources to meet expenses.
• Manages student caseload by engaging in proactive outreach. Outreach campaigns will encompass students with barriers to packaging and disbursement (verification, missing documents) as well as students with outstanding balances.
• Serve as primary point of contact for students, families, University colleagues, and other parties in appointments (in-person, phone, virtual) and via email regarding scholarship and financial aid programs and processes.
• Conducts on-campus and off-campus financial aid and scholarship outreach including information programs, high school visitations, joint Admissions/Financial Aid & Scholarship programs, and summer orientation programs (requires some evening and weekend hours).

15% Supports Financial Aid Processes

• Processes requests related to fee waivers, verification of aid, NPY hold releases, budget adjustments, reinstatement of aid, SAP appeals, and need analysis. Requires a high level of accuracy and professional judgment.
• Serves as a back-up for other processing tasks as assigned.

5% Other Duties as assigned by supervisor

• Assumes additional responsibilities as assigned by Associate Director.

Position Requirements

1. Valid Social Security Number to access secure data in the Federal Student Aid Application System.
2. Cannot be in default on a federal student loan.
3. This position will be on-site for the duration of training. At the conclusion of training, this position will primarily work on-site, but a limited hybrid work schedule may be considered upon approval of supervisor.
4. The successful candidate is expected to assist with virtual and in-person programming. Occasional travel may be required for off-site events and outside of regular business hours.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree by the time of appointment.
2. Effective written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations

Preferred Qualifications

1. Minimum one year experience in financial aid, scholarships, admissions, advising, or other area related to student support services.
2. Demonstrated strong service delivery skills, as evidenced by application materials.
3. Demonstrated effective oral communication skills, including conducting presentations.
4. Computer proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software.

Contact Information to Applicants

Leah Nicholson
leahnicholson@ku.edu

Additional Candidate Instruction

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

• Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
• Resume
• List of three (3) professional references

Only complete applications will be considered.
Application review begins November 24, 2025. and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.

Advertised Salary Range

43,000

Application Review Begins

24-Nov-2025

Anticipated Start Date

02-Feb-2026

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

FTE

1.0

Reg/Temp

Regular

FLSA Status

Nonexempt

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Location Assignment

On-Site