How To Become A Finance Aid Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a finance aid counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

The Finance Aid Counselor, usually found at educational institutions, such as universities, is tasked with providing students and their families with financial guidance.

They will serve as the primary contact for these students and will act as their guide in terms of paperwork, applications, eligibility for financial aid, and costs. The Counselor also needs to verify the student's knowledge and abide by the university's policies and the regulations tied to financial student aid. They often deal with federal grants and scholarships, aid from charitable organizations and institutions, and may assist higher management with the changes being designed and applied to university policies.

A person seeking work as a Finance Aid Counselor generally needs to have a bachelor's degree in Finance or Counseling or a similar subject. Alternatively, an equivalent in the form of experience may be valued just as much. A good understanding of the academic community and its practices is key, as well as excellent communication, customer service skills, and computer proficiency.

What general advice would you give to a finance aid counselor?

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.

Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University

Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.

ScoreFinance Aid CounselorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,672

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 6.38%

Black or African American 9.18%

Hispanic or Latino 15.93%

Unknown 4.64%

White 63.39%

Gender

female 71.78%

male 28.22%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a finance aid counselor

Explore finance aid counselor education requirements

Most common finance aid counselor degrees

Bachelor's

65.6 %

Master's

16.9 %

Associate

12.8 %

Start to develop specific finance aid counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Financial Assistance	11.99%
Customer Service	10.53%
Financial Aid Programs	7.46%
Professional Judgment	5.41%
FAFSA	3.78%

Complete relevant finance aid counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New finance aid counselors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a finance aid counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real finance aid counselor resumes.

Research finance aid counselor duties and responsibilities

Manage project for the development and implementation of a university-wide scholarship database, STAARS.
Utilize the PeopleSoft student administration financial aid module to determine loan eligibility.
Assist patients with Medi-Cal applications as well as facility payment assistance applications.
Provide assistance to uninsure patients and families in completing and filing Medicaid or assistance program applications with the appropriate agency.

Prepare your finance aid counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your finance aid counselor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a finance aid counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable finance aid counselor resume templates

Build a professional finance aid counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your finance aid counselor resume.