Senior Financial Aid Counselor

University of Southern California; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of Financial Aid at University of Southern California is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor II to support the Need Analysis unit. You will help evaluate student eligibility for aid, review applications for both graduate and undergraduate programs, and maintain thorough documentation.

Responsibilities include policy maintenance, staff training, SIS change identification, testing system updates, and advising staff on complex cases.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of federal and state financial aid processes and regulations.
• Ability to think critically, problem solve, and understand complex verification issues.
• Professional demeanor and ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects accurately.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining policies and procedures used in need analysis and verification.
• Manage training and evaluation processes for staff.
• Identify changes to SIS based on federal/state requirements.
• Develop testing procedures and scenarios for system updates.
• Respond to Salesforce cases and advise staff on need analysis questions.
• Provide guidance on procedures for complex student files.
• Conduct need analysis to determine packaging options; certify applications.
• Maintain quality control on reviewing ~20,000 applications.
• Support guidelines for professional judgement adjustments initiated by appeals.

Skills

Federeal/state aid processes

Critical thinking

Communication skills

Organization and prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree

Combined experience/education substitute

Job description

The Office of Financial Aid at University of Southern California is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor II to support the Need Analysis unit. You will help evaluate student eligibility for aid, review applications for both graduate and undergraduate programs, and maintain thorough documentation.

Responsibilities include policy maintenance, staff training, SIS change identification, testing system updates, and advising staff on complex cases.