Financial Aid Counselor

Penn State Abington is seeking a Financial Aid Counselor to provide consultative services to prospective and current students and their families, facilitate admissions, determine financial aid eligibility, and evaluate applications.  The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Counsel and advise prospective students/families regarding enrollment through the student life cycle.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a strong working knowledge of federal, state and university student aid regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Responsible for providing in-take services; respond to direct requests from individual applicants, parents, and counselors through phone, email, and assisting visitors to the office .
• Evaluate and analyze credentials on students’ applications to determine eligibility for financial assistance, admissions applications.
• May evaluate graduate level credits earned and courses completed to determine if eligible for graduation.
• Determine appropriate visa documentation based on established policies and criteria.
• Determine the type and amount of financial aid to be awarded in accordance with established federal, state and University standards and guidelines.
• Evaluate readmission applications and add advance standing credits required for graduation; evaluate records for retroactive drop/adds, withdrawals, cancellations and grade changes.
• Review, analyze, assess, and process information, records, and transcripts for determining academic credit and eligibility for degrees and/or specialized programs.
• Apply professional judgement to determine when satisfactory academic progress appeals, dependency reviews, or change in financial circumstances reviews are warranted.
• Participate in financial aid outreach programs targeted to specific populations such as high school visits, on-campus programs, orientation, and other financial aid and financial literacy presentations.
• Create and implement outreach programs/presentations targeted to specific populations.
• Assist in administering the campus scholarship programs.
• Work and collaborate with other University unit/campuses to develop and deliver a consistent message to prospective and current students during the enrollment life cycle.
• Manage application follow-up by running reports, develop communication strategies to reach students with active applications, and maintain reports/spreadsheets for special populations.

The following background checks must be successfully completed for this position:

Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check
Pennsylvania Child Abuse History
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check

Abington, PA is a northern suburb of Philadelphia known for its diversity and accessibility. Located just 45 minutes outside of center city, residents can easily travel to and from Philadelphia and Abington’s surrounding communities such as Willow Grove, Glenside, Roslyn, and Jenkintown by SEPTA trains, regional rails, and buses, making it an ideal place to live and work. As a staff member at Penn State Abington, you will enjoy access to popular destinations such as Keswick Village, home of the Keswick Theater, Willow Grove Mall, Briar Bush Nature Center, and Abington Arts Center. You can enjoy outdoor recreation at any of Abington’s 25 public parks, as well as shopping, dining, and other historic arts, museums, entertainment, and community events of the greater Philadelphia region while working in a diverse, lively, tight-knit, and engaging campus community.

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.