Financial Aid Counselor

Located in North Carolina's third largest city, UNC Greensboro is among the most diverse, learner-centered public research universities in the state, with 18,000 students in eight colleges and schools pursuing more than 150 areas of undergraduate and over 200 areas of graduate study. UNCG continues to be recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability. UNCG is ranked No. 1 most affordable institution in North Carolina for net cost by the N.Y. Times and No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by The Wall Street Journal - helping first-generation and lower-income students find paths to prosperity. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, UNCG is a community-engaged research institution with a portfolio of more than $67M in research and creative activity. The University's 2,600 staff help create an annual economic impact for the Piedmont Triad region in excess of $1B.

The mission of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at UNCG is to assist students in reaching their academic goals by serving as a primary advocate for students and families as we assist in removing barriers to receiving financial assistance. The Financial Aid Office works to meet these goals by embracing technology, reviewing and improving procedures, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations.

The primary purpose of the Financial Aid Counselor is to develop expert knowledge of the federal, state, and institutional aid regulations and guidelines and to administer financial aid knowledge to students and families to assist them in resolving the issues they encounter when navigating the complex financial aid process. Counselors must apply decision-making and discernment skills in order to resolve the multitude of issues that families encounter in the aid process. The counselors must be ready to adapt their style to the many different types of students they work with- new freshmen, transfers, graduate students, online students, parents, veterans, and other family members. The financial aid counselor encounters a wider variety of people, student types, and ages than any other office on campus. They may be working with a first-generation freshman one minute and then working with a graduate student on plus loans the next. They have to understand the needs of each type and the issues that each might encounter in order to properly service the student.

The counselors must be adept at communicating complex aid regulations in a manner that first-generation students and families can understand and navigate. They must be articulate and accurate in their communication but also display empathy because they often deliver bad news. The counselors will encounter students/families who are upset and are displaying their emotions through tears or anger. They must utilize counseling skills to de-escalate tense situations regularly. We do not have enough aid to cover the unmet need of the vast majority of our students. Students and families often take out their frustrations on the frontline counselors who must be adept at handling these tricky situations and determining what they can and can't do for families under current guidelines and regulations.

Counselors are responsible for expert communication skills in multiple modes- email, phone, chat, in-person, and virtual. They need a thorough understanding of how to deliver instruction and information appropriately in each medium. They guide families through complex processes and have to approach their guidance differently based on the mode of communication.

Often in their communication with students, they have to conduct follow-up processing after their interaction. Counselors analyze information to ensure the FAFSA data is accurate. They process received financial aid documentation and then follow up with the student to confirm processing has been completed. Their interactions aren't simply communicating information, but instead actively resolving issues by processing documentation and resolving issues in Banner and then following up with the student.

Counselors are also called upon to give parent night presentations at local high schools, deliver financial literacy presentations to FYE course sections, and participate in Admissions recruiting events explaining the aid process to new students and families.

If no applicants apply who meet the required competency level and training & experience requirements, then management may consider other applicants. Salary would be determined based on competencies, equity, budget, and market considerations.