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Finance aid counselor vs counselor

The differences between finance aid counselors and counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a finance aid counselor has an average salary of $37,672, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.

The top three skills for a finance aid counselor include financial assistance, customer service and financial aid programs. The most important skills for a counselor are patients, crisis intervention, and substance abuse.

Finance aid counselor vs counselor overview

Finance Aid CounselorCounselor
Yearly salary$37,672$36,225
Hourly rate$18.11$17.42
Growth rate15%10%
Number of jobs118,07277,536
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4544
Years of experience2-

What does a finance aid counselor do?

Financial aid counselors are professionals who are responsible for providing advice to students and parents regarding various institutional financial aid programs. By following state and university guidelines, financial aid counselors are required to award funds from various controlled programs to students by ensuring the optimal use of financial aid funds. These counselors must assist students to complete all the appropriate and required forms to ensure the proper application process for financial aid. They must also assist the financial aid coordinator to make sure that their department is running smoothly.

What does a counselor do?

Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.

Finance aid counselor vs counselor salary

Finance aid counselors and counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance Aid CounselorCounselor
Average salary$37,672$36,225
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $47,000Between $19,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyThe American Musical and Dramatic Academy-
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between finance aid counselor and counselor education

There are a few differences between a finance aid counselor and a counselor in terms of educational background:

Finance Aid CounselorCounselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance aid counselor vs counselor demographics

Here are the differences between finance aid counselors' and counselors' demographics:

Finance Aid CounselorCounselor
Average age4544
Gender ratioMale, 28.2% Female, 71.8%Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage8%9%

Differences between finance aid counselor and counselor duties and responsibilities

Finance aid counselor example 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.
  • Document all enrolling activities in CampusVue.
  • Originate loans, create disbursements, and print miscellaneous reports and financial aid information in EdExpress database.

Counselor example responsibilities.

  • Maintain a safe program through ongoing CPI training.
  • Utilize de-escalation skills (CPI) when necessary.
  • Instill confidence, improve all components of writing and reading, and study strategies.
  • Arrange ESL tutoring and perform as liaison between students, parents, and school administrators.
  • Advise students into their major field of study, and assisting them with choosing the correct curriculum.
  • Operate a full service litigation office that evolve from general litigation to criminal litigation to federal criminal trials.
  • Show more

Finance aid counselor vs counselor skills

Common finance aid counselor skills
  • Financial Assistance, 12%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Financial Aid Programs, 7%
  • Professional Judgment, 5%
  • FAFSA, 4%
  • Financial Aid, 4%
Common counselor skills
  • Patients, 13%
  • Crisis Intervention, 12%
  • Substance Abuse, 12%
  • Social Work, 10%
  • Community Resources, 4%
  • CPR, 4%

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