Financial Aid Counselor – Clinical Sciences

St. George's University • Great River, NY

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Financial Aid Counselor – Clinical Sciences provides individualized counseling and support to students enrolled in the Clinical Science programs at St. George’s University. This role is a continuation from the Financial Aid Counselor – Basic Sciences and guides students through the entire financial aid lifecycle—transition from basic sciences to clinical sciences, and loan packaging to enrollment adjustments, credit counseling, debt management, and repayment preparation—while ensuring 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 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.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

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

Benefits

• Student Centric: We approach every task with a focus on supporting our students to achieve their lifelong learning goals in a safe, vibrant and welcoming environment.
• A Global Community: We are one team with an international outlook welcoming the strength in our diversity and the value each of us brings to what we do.
• Accountable: We take responsibility for our actions by being responsive, resourceful and respectful in delivering on our commitments with integrity and the highest ethical standards.
• Collaborative: We support and empower one another through open communications, cooperation, sharing knowledge and taking time to always listen and show we care.
• Committed to Excellence: We take pride in our ongoing pursuit for continuous improvement through creativity, rigor and best practices to produce meaningful outcomes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level