Counselor/Alternative Loans Certifying Officer, Financial Aid

All Employees are expected to

• Deliver quality work within established timelines with or without direct supervision.
• Interact courteously and professionally with students, employees, and external partners.
• Contribute effectively as part of a team.
• Work independently while maintaining communication and coordination with supervisors, colleagues, and campus departments.

Position purpose

The Financial Aid Counselor / Alternative Loans Certifying Officer provides proactive support to Vaughn students and maintains a strong understanding of academic requirements. The role includes identifying students who may need additional guidance and ensuring they receive timely, accurate financial aid assistance.

Major Responsibilities/Duties/Functions/Tasks

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Title IV regulations.
• Deliver high-quality customer service to students, families, faculty, and staff.
• Provide comprehensive financial aid counseling while promoting responsible borrowing practices.
• Manage a caseload of approximately 300–350 students per academic year, including ISIR review, ongoing communication, verification processing, and packaging.
• Oversee all Alternative Loans from all lending sources.
• Review, certify, process, and reconcile Alternative Loans through ELM, PowerFAIDS, and Sonis.
• Reconcile Alternative Loan activity with Finance and Student Accounts.
• Advise students on registration, curriculum changes, reentry, second-degree enrollment, and withdrawal procedures.
• Ensure compliance with FERPA and institutional privacy standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• *Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience Requirements

• Associate degree required.
• Minimum of two years of financial aid experience.

Professional Skills

• Strong working knowledge of Title IV regulations.
• Effective communication and public-speaking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and independently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to analyze problems, gather and interpret data, and follow written and verbal instructions. Ability to work under pressure and maintain positive working relationships.

Work environment and physical functions

Office-based position involving regular sitting, standing, and movement within the workspace. Shared responsibility for proper use of office equipment.

Preferred Qualifications

Bilingual English/Spanish

Bachelor’s degree

• ***Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. ****