How to hire a finance aid advisor

How to hire a finance aid advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance aid advisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a finance aid advisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new finance aid advisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a finance aid advisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the finance aid advisor you need to hire. Certain finance aid advisor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A finance aid advisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, finance aid advisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of finance aid advisors.

   Type of Finance Aid Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Aid Advisor		$13-23
   Finance Aid Coordinator	Students are granted educational aid with the help of a finance aid coordinator. A finance aid coordinator's responsibilities include assisting students in filling application forms, following up missing documents, delivering documents, and maintaining data security... Show more	$14-23
   Finance Aid Officer	A finance aid officer helps students get financial aid. They procure scholarships and loan applications and help students to fill them out... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Aid
   • Customer Service
   • FAFSA
   • Financial Aid Programs
   • Student Loans
   • Title IV
   • Student Aid
   • Financial Aid Eligibility
   • Financial Aid Applications
   • Professional Judgment
   • Federal Regulations
   • Financial Aid Awards
   • NSLDS
   • Financial Assistance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage project for the development and implementation of a university-wide scholarship database, STAARS.
   • Review incoming student ISIR, notifying students of the required documents need to complete the financial aid process.
   • Assemble files according to school and distribute to designate coordinators.
   • Perform cross-selling of banking products to help maximize company's profits.
   • Work with Microsoft office as well as internet and campus vue database.
   • Assist with collection and verification of PELL intake forms at the front counter.

   More finance aid advisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your finance aid advisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A finance aid advisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, finance aid advisors' average salary in montana is 39% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level finance aid advisors earn 43% less than senior-level finance aid advisors.
   • Certifications. A finance aid advisor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a finance aid advisor's salary.

   Average finance aid advisor salary

   $37,791yearly

   $18.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance aid advisor salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average finance aid advisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$49,313	$24
   2	New Jersey	$46,460	$22
   3	Alaska	$45,144	$22
   4	California	$44,997	$22
   5	Utah	$40,652	$20
   6	Florida	$38,893	$19
   7	Colorado	$38,552	$19
   8	Ohio	$38,184	$18
   9	South Carolina	$37,903	$18
   10	Illinois	$36,368	$17
   11	Michigan	$35,757	$17
   12	Iowa	$35,374	$17
   13	New Mexico	$35,122	$17
   14	Kansas	$34,949	$17
   15	Minnesota	$34,933	$17
   16	Virginia	$34,801	$17
   17	Oregon	$33,846	$16
   18	Texas	$32,618	$16
   19	Oklahoma	$30,572	$15
   20	Idaho	$29,949	$14

   Average finance aid advisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Oakland University	$53,733	$25.83	3
   2	Strategic Education	$50,179	$24.12	1
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$48,507	$23.32
   4	University of Colorado Boulder	$45,033	$21.65	2
   5	Post University, Inc.	$44,479	$21.38	3
   6	COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND	$43,574	$20.95	1
   7	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$43,270	$20.80
   8	The City University of New York	$42,845	$20.60	14
   9	University of Houston	$41,388	$19.90	6
   10	University at Albany	$41,275	$19.84	2
   11	North Hennepin Community College	$41,251	$19.83
   12	Bryant & Stratton College	$41,165	$19.79	12
   13	Mt. Hood Community College	$41,054	$19.74
   14	University of Alaska	$40,822	$19.63	4
   15	International Rescue Committee	$40,744	$19.59	1
   16	University at Buffalo	$40,510	$19.48	2
   17	Concorde Career Colleges	$40,323	$19.39	88
   18	Kankakee Community College	$40,221	$19.34
   19	University of the Southwest	$40,212	$19.33
   20	Cincinnati State	$40,054	$19.26

4. Writing a finance aid advisor job description

   A finance aid advisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a finance aid advisor job description:

   Finance aid advisor job description example

   CampusWorks is looking for Senior Financial Aid experts who have expertise in Colleague that can serve as business analysts, Business Process Review and Optimization Consultants and/or Financial Aid Director roles.
   
   This individual will work with our teams in assisting our clients in fully leveraging Colleague feature and functionality in the Financial Aid area. The ideal candidate will have expertise in process and system reviews and implementations within higher education in Financial Aid . This position requires experience in the Financial Aid operations and implementing the recommendation in the Financial Aid module.
   
   AccountabilitiesRequirements Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and the full adoption of technology to enable the organizational operations and efficiency5+ years' experience leading, managing or directing the Financial Aid area of an organization that uses Colleague software Business process review experience, including reviewing and recommending policy changes, staffing and organizational alignment changes, and realignment of roles and responsibilities when appropriate Demonstration of superior communication skills and the ability to provide a consultative approach to end clients Demonstrated experience facilitating the diverse needs of functional areas, students, faculty, staff and leadership across higher education organizations.Demonstrated ability to map current and desired processes with detail showing the various process steps and who is performing each step.This includes mapping out very complex and at times dysfunctional processes that have arisen over time in an organization.Demonstrated ability to function as the interim Financial Aid director.
   
   Experience and Education5+ years' experience leading, managing or directing the Financial Aid area of an organization that uses Colleague software
   
   KSA's Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesTransform the college/university from manual processes to utilizing Colleague tools for processing and administering financial aid It is essential that the candidate has solid current Colleague skills related to Financial Aid. The candidate must have hands-on knowledge of Colleague, its architecture, and use as it applies to Financial Aid
   What You Can Expect from Us
   At CampusWorks, we don't just help our clients succeed; we help our employees succeed. Competitive pay, robust benefits for full-time employees, and professional development opportunities are a few of the many reasons that CampusWorks is a great place to build your career. Our employees enjoy:
   
   Meaningful work. Our employees often tell us that their work gives them a sense of purpose because it makes a difference in the lives of students and educators.
   A CEO who cares. Chairman and CEO Liz Murphy has made it her mission to create a culture that appreciates and takes good care of its people. As a result, being an employee of CampusWorks feels like being a member of a big family.
   A virtual and onsite workplace. In an effort to reduce our environmental footprint, CampusWorks became a virtual company in 2012. As such, our team members are located across the U.S. and Canada, where they work from their home offices and at client sites.
   Flexibility. We value work-life balance because we know that happy employees create happy customers. T hat's why CampusWorks offers both full-time and part-time 1099 consulting career opportunities to fit life's unique demands.
   A company that gives back. Every year CampusWorks proudly supports numerous charitable fundraising initiatives that align with our vision to make higher education accessible to everyone.
   
   There are many things our employees love about working for CampusWorks, but don't take our word for it. Hear what they have to say. Read employee testimonials»
   
   About CampusWorks
   Founded in 1999, CampusWorks is dedicated to helping higher education overcome business and technological challenges that stand in the way of student success and completion. We work with community colleges, technical colleges, four-year public and private institutions, multi-college districts, and statewide higher education systems to tackle problems big and small. Our services are rooted in systems thinking and reach across the institution-from Student Services to Human Resources to Finance to Academics-to achieve transformative results.
   
   AAP/EEO Statement: CampusWorks, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) and Affirmative Actions (AA) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find finance aid advisors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your finance aid advisor job on Zippia to find and attract quality finance aid advisor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit finance aid advisors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new finance aid advisor

   Once you've selected the best finance aid advisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new finance aid advisor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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