One-Stop Senior Student Financial Counselor, Graduate and Professional Studies

Point Loma Nazarene University•San Diego, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The One-Stop Student Financial Senior Counselor plays a key role in supporting daily operations, team effectiveness, and service delivery within the One-Stop Student Financial (OSF) team. This position partners closely with the Team Lead and Director to ensure business needs are met, workflows are effective, and a high standard of service is consistently delivered. The Senior Counselor is expected to think ahead, identify gaps, and bring forward solutions that strengthen both the student experience and team operations. This role provides guidance to team members, supports training and onboarding, and supervises student workers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum 2-3 years of experience in student financial services, financial aid, student accounts, or related field preferred.
Experience in higher education strongly preferred.
Evidence of Christian commitment and active church involvement.
Staff agree to live in agreement with PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.
Demonstrates strong judgment and the ability to navigate complex student situations.
Ability to identify issues and bring forward clear, practical solutions.
Ability to support and guide team members in day-to-day operations.
Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proficient with student information systems (Salesforce, TargetX, Workday, Dialpad).
Knowledge of federal financial aid regulations and institutional policies.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Demonstrates initiative, ownership, and accountability in day-to-day work.

Nice To Haves

Minimum 2-3 years of experience in student financial services, financial aid, student accounts, or related field.
Experience in higher education.

Responsibilities

Deliver high-level financial counseling while setting the standard for accuracy, communication, and student experience across the team.
Handle complex and escalated student situations, ensuring resolution and strong follow-through.
Serve as a resource for team members when questions or challenges arise.
Model best practices in student interactions, documentation, and account management.
Proactively identify recurring issues and trends, and bring forward recommendations to improve service and operations.
Supports daily workflow by helping prioritize tasks, manage coverage, and address issues in real time.
Assists in maintaining consistency across call queue, appointments, and student communications.
Identifies trends or gaps in operations and brings forward solutions to improve team effectiveness.
Partners closely with the Team Lead to maintain alignment on priorities and team needs.
Steps in to support team coverage and continuity of service during high-volume periods or staffing gaps.
Supports onboarding of new counselors and student workers to ensure consistency in training and expectations.
Provides ongoing guidance and reinforcement of processes, policies, and service standards.
Assists in developing and maintaining training materials, scripts, and job aids.
Helps ensure the team is confident and consistent in execution.
Reinforces accountability by ensuring team members are following established processes and expectations.
Advise prospective and enrolled Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) students and families on tuition, billing, and financial aid options.
Guide students through financial aid processes, including Federal, PLUS, Alternative loans, and state and institutional aid.
Educate students on policies, deadlines, eligibility requirements, and program guidelines.
Review and analyze student accounts, including payments, holds, refunds, and financial aid status, to ensure accuracy and readiness.
Resolve complex student issues related to financial aid, student accounts, military benefits, academic standing, and funding delays.
Serve as a primary point of contact for students navigating financial aid processes, including applications, verification, SAP, and appeals.
Maintain compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations.
Follow up on incomplete documentation, aid packaging, and disbursement issues to ensure timely processing.
Advise students on billing policies, payment plans, refund schedules, and account holds.
Process and coordinate refunds with the Business Office, and clearly communicate timelines to students.
Maintain accurate and detailed documentation of all student interactions in systems such as Salesforce, Workday, and Dialpad.
Serve as a point of escalation for complex student situations before involvement from the Team Lead.
Present financial information at New Student Orientation and Financial Aid Workshops.
Conduct proactive outreach campaigns, including welcome emails, follow-up for missing documents, and support for funding plans.
Meet with newly admitted students to develop personalized funding plans.
Utilize multiple communication methods, including phone, email, video, and text, to support students throughout their lifecycle.
Support consistency in outreach efforts across the team by reinforcing expectations and best practices.
Collaborate with Enrollment, Financial Aid, Records, and Student Success to resolve student issues.
Work across teams to remove barriers and improve the overall student experience.
Bring forward recommendations to improve processes, communication, and workflow efficiency.
Communicate trends, challenges, and opportunities to the Team Lead and Director to support informed decision-making.
Collaborate with the Military Services department to secure required documentation and support students using VA or military tuition benefits.
Advise students on all available military aid and how it integrates into their funding plan.
Partner with the Military Services Compliance and Billing Manager to ensure accurate billing and compliance.