How to hire a finance aid counselor

How to hire a finance aid counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance aid counselor 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 counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new finance aid counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a finance aid counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the finance aid counselor you need to hire. Certain finance aid counselor 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

   Hiring the perfect finance aid counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Finance Aid Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Aid Counselor		$13-22
   Student Services Counselor	Student Services is a part of the school program that focuses on helping students in their studies. A Student Services Counselor handles this task and is the contact person for all students who need help or who have problems and issues requiring solutions and answers... Show more	$12-28
   Counselor	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... Show more	$9-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Assistance
   • Customer Service
   • Financial Aid Programs
   • Professional Judgment
   • FAFSA
   • Financial Aid
   • Student Loans
   • Financial Aid Eligibility
   • Financial Aid Applications
   • Work-Study
   • Title IV
   • Appeals
   • Federal Regulations
   • NSLDS

   Check all skills

   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.

   More finance aid counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the finance aid counselor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A finance aid counselor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a finance aid counselor in Washington may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level finance aid counselor. Additionally, a finance aid counselor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average finance aid counselor salary

   $37,672yearly

   $18.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance aid counselor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average finance aid counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$49,718	$24
   2	District of Columbia	$44,156	$21
   3	Massachusetts	$44,118	$21
   4	California	$42,902	$21
   5	Alaska	$41,800	$20
   6	Maryland	$40,545	$19
   7	Utah	$40,108	$19
   8	West Virginia	$37,140	$18
   9	Missouri	$36,440	$18
   10	Kentucky	$35,995	$17
   11	Colorado	$35,333	$17
   12	Michigan	$34,705	$17
   13	Kansas	$34,080	$16
   14	Oregon	$33,810	$16
   15	Tennessee	$32,660	$16
   16	Wisconsin	$32,647	$16
   17	Arizona	$31,976	$15
   18	Texas	$31,898	$15
   19	Indiana	$31,767	$15
   20	Georgia	$30,374	$15

   Average finance aid counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$76,053	$36.56
   2	Massasoit Community College	$54,153	$26.04
   3	New York University	$52,718	$25.35	1
   4	Columbus College of Art & Design	$52,228	$25.11	2
   5	California State University, Fullerton	$48,763	$23.44
   6	University of California-Berkeley	$47,893	$23.03	1
   7	Northeastern University	$47,148	$22.67	5
   8	Lincoln University	$46,890	$22.54	1
   9	University of California	$45,845	$22.04	16
   10	Palmer College of Chiropractic	$44,701	$21.49
   11	Portland State University	$44,595	$21.44
   12	UC Santa Barbara	$44,376	$21.33
   13	Mercy College	$43,230	$20.78
   14	Santa Clara University	$43,190	$20.76	4
   15	University of Colorado Boulder	$42,856	$20.60	2
   16	Loyola Marymount University	$42,716	$20.54	2
   17	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$42,714	$20.54
   18	University of Nevada, Reno	$42,370	$20.37	7
   19	The City University of New York	$42,355	$20.36	10
   20	Bristol Community College	$42,171	$20.27

4. Writing a finance aid counselor job description

   A finance aid counselor 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a finance aid counselor job description:

   Finance aid counselor job description example

   • Associate's degree plus 1-3 years of relevant experience, or a combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills are acquired.
   • Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
   • Accurate attention to detail and the ability to work independently on various projects that require initiative; ability to work with numbers and financial information.
   • Knowledge of Microsoft products including, but not limited to, Outlook, Word and Excel is essential.
   • Excellent organizations skills and ability to comply with federal, state, and local laws, and follow established procedures governing financial aid required.
   • Ability to manage multiple tasks at one time and move between them seamlessly.
   • Strong communication, oral and writing skills.
   • Ability to analyze and maintain priorities and complete tasks in required time.
   • Ability to deal effectively with a wide variety of VLGS personnel and students and/or outside individuals/organizations.
   • Capability to manage the office in the absence of the Director and Manager of Operations.
   • Knowledge of PowerFAIDS and Jenzabar strongly preferred.

   Other Requirements:

   • Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship.
   • Physical ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations.
   • Willingness and ability to follow any current or future health and safety policies or protocols laid out by the school.

   Note: All job requirements are subject to possible revision to reflect changes in the position requirements or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a threat or risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with Federal and State Laws). Continued employment remains on an at-will basis.

   
   

   PM20

   
   
   

   PI194223858

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right finance aid counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your finance aid counselor job on Zippia to find and attract quality finance aid counselor 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 counselors, 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 counselor

   Once you've decided on a perfect finance aid counselor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   To prepare for the new finance aid counselor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a finance aid counselor?