Financial Aid Counselor – Basic Sciences

The Financial Aid Counselor – Basic Sciences provides direct financial aid counseling and support to students enrolled in the Basic Science programs at St. George’s University. This role is responsible for guiding students through the entire financial aid lifecycle—from initial application and loan packaging, to enrollment adjustments, ongoing financial literacy, and repayment preparation—ensuring compliance with federal and private loan regulations. As part of the student journey, the Counselor acts as a trusted advisor to students and families, helping them understand eligibility requirements, borrowing responsibilities, creditworthiness, and long-term financial planning. The Counselor plays a pivotal role in debt management, credit counseling, and private loan counseling, equipping students with the tools to make informed borrowing decisions, budget effectively, and prepare for successful repayment after graduation. This position will report to the Associate Director, Financial Aid - Advisement. Essential Functions Student Counseling & Advisement Counsel Basic Sciences students on all aspects of federal and private loan programs, including eligibility, application processes, disbursements, and renewal requirements. Provide individualized credit counseling to help students understand credit scores, creditworthiness, and their impact on loan approval and repayment. Deliver private loan counseling, ensuring students fully understand loan terms, lender requirements, and repayment responsibilities. Provide debt management counseling, helping students and graduates understand responsible borrowing, repayment options, and long-term financial impact. Guide students through entrance and exit loan counseling, ensuring compliance with federal requirements. Counsel students on budgeting, credit management, and meeting financial obligations to the University and their lenders. Act as a primary point of contact for assigned caseload of active and prospective students, providing proactive outreach and timely responses. Document all student interactions in RHACOMM (Banner) and Salesforce, ensuring accurate records for compliance and follow-up. Respond to all student inquiries within 24–48 hours, escalating complex cases to leadership or appropriate departments as needed. Guide students through the VA process. Collaborate with the Enrollment and Financial Aid Operations team on VA certification. Application Processing & Aid Packaging Review and evaluate financial aid applications, including ISIRs, to determine eligibility and resolve conflicting information. Package federal and private loans in accordance with DOE regulations and lender requirements. Review and Identify budget adjustments, cost of attendance recalculations, and aid revisions for students with curriculum or enrollment changes. Certify private loan eligibility and ensure compliance with lender and federal requirements. Financial Literacy & Student Journey Integration Develop and deliver financial literacy education for Basic Sciences students through one-on-one sessions, group workshops, and presentations. Present at orientations, webinars, and class meetings to support student awareness of financial aid processes and responsibilities. Provide ongoing outreach throughout the student journey, ensuring students understand financial aid at pre-matriculation, enrollment, mid-program, and graduation milestones. Monitor completion of federal/private loan requirements, ensuring timely compliance. Collaboration & Compliance Partner with Admissions, Registrar, Bursar, and Student Affairs to ensure seamless integration of aid with enrollment, billing, and student services. Maintain strict compliance with federal regulations, FERPA, Title IV, and lender policies. Evaluate unusual or extenuating circumstances submitted by students for professional judgment consideration and prepare recommendations for leadership. Attend training seminars and stay up to date on changes in financial aid regulations, loan servicing, and best practices. Operational Support & Reporting Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly financial aid reports to ensure accuracy of disbursements, enrollment status, and loan eligibility. Assist in audit preparation by ensuring files and student communications are accurate, documented, and accessible. Provide administrative support for office-wide initiatives, including communication campaigns and compliance reporting. Serve as a liaison to loan servicers and lenders to support students’ aid 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 In-depth knowledge of Title IV federal aid programs, private loan processes, credit counseling, and debt management. Strong counseling and advising skills with the ability to build rapport and provide student-centered support. Proficiency in Banner (RHACOMM), Salesforce, NSLDS, COD, and Microsoft Office 365; advanced Excel skills preferred. Strong organizational and analytical abilities, with attention to detail and accuracy. Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present financial aid information clearly to both small and large groups. Ability to handle sensitive financial and personal information with discretion and professionalism. Demonstrated commitment to financial literacy, debt management, and credit education. Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and database systems. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. 2–3 years of professional experience in financial aid, banking, lending, or student services. Direct experience with loan processing, FAFSA verification, disbursements, and electronic data transmissions preferred. Experience providing credit counseling, private loan counseling, and debt management education strongly preferred. Familiarity with Title IV, NSLDS, COD, and private lender regulations. Hours & Travel Standard work week: 37.5 hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends during peak periods. Occasional travel may be required for admissions events, orientations, or student-facing initiatives. The anticipated salary range for the Financial Aid Counselor is $50,000 to $55,000 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.