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Finance aid counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical finance aid counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for finance aid counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.0% of finance aid counselor resumes contained financial assistance as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a finance aid counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 finance aid counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance refers to governmental assistance one may receive for a variety of reasons. This help is typically in the form of money, whether a loan, scholarship, grant, or reduced taxes provided to an individual or organization. One of the more common forms of financial assistance is student loans, which offer many prospective students a chance for higher education.

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial assistance:
  • Counseled students and parents in order to disseminate information and answer questions relating to financial assistance available while enrolled at Tulane.
  • Counseled potential and existing financial aid recipients on proper navigation through the avenues of financial assistance and eligibility determination.

2. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how finance aid counselors use customer service:
  • Provided excellent customer service by timely and accurately responding to students' and parents' inquiries
  • Provided excellent customer service and comprehensive counseling to law students regarding financial planning and aid.

3. Financial Aid Programs

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial aid programs:
  • Prepared marketing materials and conducted workshops and presentations to sell financial aid programs at recruiting events.
  • Counseled students and parents regarding financial aid programs, eligibility, application and awarding policies.

4. Professional Judgment

Here's how finance aid counselors use professional judgment:
  • Created accurate financial aid packages for students in compliance with federal and state regulations and exercised professional judgment for special circumstances.
  • Utilized professional judgment to adjust a student s appeals concerning eligibility based on documented mitigating circumstances in accordance with federal statutes.

5. FAFSA

Here's how finance aid counselors use fafsa:
  • Collected student paperwork to verify FAFSA applications to award accurate financial aid.
  • Facilitated FAFSA workshops and information sessions at monthly Admissions sponsored events.

6. Financial Aid

Financial aid refers to cash released to an educational institution to help a student pay the school fee. The issuance of financial aid, whether scholarships, grants, or loans, aims to make access to education affordable to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial aid:
  • Advised/counseled new and continuing students & parents in understanding student financial aid plans utilizing the Tribal scholarship to defray post-secondary education.
  • Maintained the university institutional and state scholarship programs to maintain compliance, to include implemented Financial Aid policies and procedures.

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7. Student Loans

Student loans refer to money borrowed from the government or a private lender to pay for college. Students must settle the loan later, along with the interest that builds up over time. The primary uses of the money include payment for tuition, accommodation, and books.

Here's how finance aid counselors use student loans:
  • Researched and reported financial indiscretions to the National Student Loan Database by verifying tax returns and other financial information.
  • Provided assistance and training to college students in understanding and successfully managing theirs student loan obligations.

8. Financial Aid Eligibility

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial aid eligibility:
  • Review and ensure that all student files contain proper documentation to support financial aid eligibility requirements.
  • Advised incoming and continuing graduate and medical school students with financial aid eligibility.

9. Financial Aid Applications

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial aid applications:
  • Conduct review of financial aid applications and supporting documentation submitted by students and complete verification process for selected files using PeopleSoft.
  • Assisted students and parents with financial aid applications Discussed alternatives for tuition payment for those with special circumstances

10. Work-Study

A work-study student is someone who is under an occupational program that offers jobs to students to assist others. The program aids them in paying their tuition in college or career school. Graduate and undergraduate students having work-study jobs will work part-time on or off-campus while enrolled.

Here's how finance aid counselors use work-study:
  • Interviewed and trained college work-study personnel, and counseled students/parents for eligibility for financial aid.
  • Coordinated and managed Federal compliance for Work-Study Program, conducted audits among off-campus Work-Study employers.

11. Title IV

Here's how finance aid counselors use title iv:
  • Reviewed federal regulations on return of Title IV funds regularly to maintain accurate calculations and procedures.
  • Developed and defined financial plans/ Remained current with Federal regulations for Title IV Funding Universities.

12. Appeals

Here's how finance aid counselors use appeals:
  • Determined students' satisfactory academic progress pertaining to eligibility for federal financial aid and scholarships by serving on Institutional Appeals committee.
  • Reviewed student applications, performed verification procedures, reviewed/evaluated appeals, and interceded for students with specific departments.

13. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how finance aid counselors use federal regulations:
  • Maintained a working knowledge of pertinent federal regulations and participates in opportunities to update and enhance such knowledge.
  • Administered federal and institutional financial aid in accordance with institution policies, state and federal regulations.

14. NSLDS

Here's how finance aid counselors use nslds:
  • Utilize COD and NSLDS services to determine students' eligibility for Year Round PELL Aid.
  • Utilized NSLDS, COD, and CARS system when processing aid and packaging.

15. Financial Aid Awards

Here's how finance aid counselors use financial aid awards:
  • Adjusted financial aid awards based on eligibility, student requests, and funding availability.
  • Distributed financial aid awards and counseled recipients on responsible borrowing practices.
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What skills help Finance Aid Counselors find jobs?

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What type of skills will young finance aid counselors need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.

List of finance aid counselor skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a finance aid counselor resume and required skills for a finance aid counselor to have include:

  • 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
  • Financial Aid Awards
  • State Regulations
  • COD
  • Student Accounts
  • Satisfactory Academic
  • Federal Financial Aid
  • Institutional Regulations
  • Financial Aid Packages
  • Verification Process
  • Institutional Guidelines
  • Institutional Policies
  • Financial Data
  • Student Eligibility
  • Institutional Aid
  • Debt Management
  • Federal Student
  • Financial Aid Policies
  • ISIR
  • Application Procedures
  • FERPA
  • Pell
  • Financial Aid Funds
  • Loan Applications
  • PeopleSoft
  • Exit Interviews
  • Federal Guidelines
  • Financial Aid Presentations
  • Financial Aid Workshops
  • Financial Literacy
  • Local Schools
  • R2T4
  • Financial Aid Issues
  • Financial Aid Options
  • Veterans
  • Private Loans

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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