Financial Aid Counselor II

Position Title

Financial Aid Counselor II

Position Control Number

999940

Type of Position

Administration

Position Status

Full-time

Department

5102-Financial Aid

Campus

Western University Campus-Pomona, CA

Position Location

California

Job Summary

The Financial Aid Counselor at Western University of Health Sciences provides individualized counseling and support to graduate professional students regarding financial aid programs, including federal and private loans, scholarships, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and budgeting strategies. The Counselor ensures compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, completes federal verification processes, and serves as a trusted resource for students navigating complex financial decisions.

This position requires a professional with experience in financial aid administration and a demonstrated commitment to serving graduate professional students with empathy, accuracy, and integrity.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with students, staff, and faculty.
• Good computer skills enabling employees to utilize various web editing tools and setting up documents in Word, Excel, Outlook, and any other software programs required for this position.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Must be able to effectively interact with administration, faculty, students, staff, and outside contacts.
• Demonstrate a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes humanism.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related field.

Experience

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional financial aid experience, preferably with graduate/professional students.
• Strong counseling and communication skills.
• Knowledge of federal verification, Title IV programs, and private loan processes.
• Ability to balance compliance with compassionate advising.
• Passion for supporting graduate professional students.
• Commitment to equity, access, and student success.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Masters Degree in Business and/or Finance.

Experience

• Proficiency with student information systems (Ellucian Banner preferred).
• Prior experience managing Federal Work Study and private loan programs.
• Prior experience calculating and processing R2T4.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to effectively interact with administration, faculty, students, staff, and outside contacts.
• Familiar with People Admin.

Key Responsibilities

Student Counseling & Advising

• Provide one-on-one and group counseling sessions for graduate professional students.
• Explain financial aid eligibility, loan repayment obligations, scholarship opportunities, and budgeting strategies.
• Support students in making informed financial decisions aligned with their academic and professional goals.
• Review and process financial aid applications, including federal verification of student files.
• Evaluate eligibility for federal, state, institutional, and private aid programs.
• Ensure timely and accurate disbursement of aid.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Administrator – Alternative (Private) Student Loan Programs:

• Serve as the primary institutional administrator for all private/alternative education loan processing, including certification, disbursement monitoring, lender coordination, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain institutional lender lists (if applicable) in accordance with Truth in Lending Act (TILA), preferred lender arrangement regulations (34 CFR 601), and institutional conflict-of-interest policies.
• Monitor private loan processing timelines to ensure alignment with tuition due dates and prevent registration or billing disruptions.
• Conduct individualized counseling for students with federal funding gaps, including credit-based loan education, cosigner guidance, and responsible borrowing strategies.
• Analyze private loan utilization trends and provide quarterly reporting to the Director/Associate Director to inform institutional funding gap strategy under OB3 constraints.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Administrator – Federal Direct Loan Reconciliation:

• Serve as the institutional lead for monthly and year-end Direct Loan reconciliation in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education’s COD system and the institution’s ERP (e.g., Banner).
• Perform detailed reconciliation of internal ledgers against COD and G5 cash balances to ensure compliance with 34 CFR 685.102 and federal cash management regulations (34 CFR 668 Subpart K).
• Identify and resolve disbursement discrepancies, rejected records, excess cash, timing variances, and unbooked loans within required federal timeframes.
• Prepare reconciliation documentation and audit-ready reports for annual A-133/Single Audit and Program Review purposes.
• Ensure timely closeout of each award year in accordance with federal deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

Compliance Oversight & Internal Controls

• Develop and maintain written reconciliation procedures and alternative loan processing workflows to strengthen institutional internal controls.
• Serve as subject matter expert for system configuration related to Direct Loan origination, disbursement schedules, and lender interfaces.
• Monitor regulatory updates (FSA Electronic Announcements, NASFAA guidance) and recommend procedural updates as needed.

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.

Minimum

$83,000.00 Annually

Maximum

$83,000.00 Annually

Do the essential functions of this job require lifting?

Yes

If yes, list maximum weight and duration

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use hands to operate a PC in the performance of job duties, and talk or hear. The employee is regularly required to sit, and reach with hands and arms, and occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, and smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.

Describe Work Environment

Duties are normally performed in a typical office setting. The noise level in this setting is typically low to moderate.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Duties of the counselor are normally performed in atypical office setting. The noise level in this setting is usually moderate due to the proximity of office machines and light office traffic. Full-time position with hybrid schedule; flexibility may be required during peak financial aid seasons (e.g., application deadlines, award disbursements). Occasional evening or weekend hours may be needed for outreach events, workshops, or special projects.

Posting Number

A00981

Posting Date

02/26/2026

Close Date

02/26/2027

Open Until Filled