Financial Aid Counselor - Mount Wachusett Community College

Location: Gardner, MA

Category: Professional (Staff Member)

The Financial Aid Counselor is responsible for supporting all aspects of financial aid processing, managing a caseload of students, and ensuring compliance with financial aid policies for federal and state aid. The role includes client counseling, budget and award oversight, and support for front‑line staff.

• Counsel students and families on financial aid application requirements, eligibility, cost of attendance, award eligibility, loan process requirements, unusual circumstances, satisfactory academic progress, etc.
• Manage budgets and awards, including monitoring over‑awards.
• Handle special circumstance requests and exercise professional judgment.
• Monitor and manage Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and appeals.
• Manage special programs (outreach, financial literacy, student employment, nursing, clock‑hour programs).
• Manage consortium agreements.
• Support financial aid application review (FAFSA/ISIR) to determine SAI and resolve conflicting information.
• Complete federal verification processing.
• Support determination of student eligibility (managing C‑Flags, C‑Codes, database matches).
• Provide financial aid counseling at college recruitment events.
• Assist Coordinators with federal and state aid processing, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Human Services, Sociology, or a closely related field.
• Two (2) years experience and/or training involving financial aid operations or loan processing, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• Data utilization: review, classify, prioritize, and analyze data, exercising discretion in classification and referencing analysis to established standards.
• Human interaction: apply principles of persuasion and influence over others in coordinating activities of a project, program, or designated area of responsibility.
• Equipment, machinery, tools, and materials utilization: operate or control equipment and materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal aptitude: utilize a wide variety of references, descriptive and advisory data and information.
• Mathematical aptitude: perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, calculate decimals and percentages, and perform basic algebraic and geometric operations.
• Functional reasoning: apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and exercise independent judgment to develop approaches and techniques to resolve problems.
• Situational reasoning: exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a highly motivated team.
• Strong communication, organizational, analytical, and time‑management skills.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Honesty, integrity and commitment to maintain high professional standards.
• Previous experience in higher education, preferably in a financial aid or student accounts setting.
• Experience with relevant software programs (Datatel/Banner, Microsoft Office) and knowledge of federal need analysis.

Applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above are encouraged to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them with the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience required for the responsibilities of this position.

Salary: $58,979.00 – $ (Actual salary determined by education, experience, and any applicable grant limitations)

Grade: 3

Employee Status: Full Time

Benefits: Yes

Hours per Week: 37.5; 8 am – 4 pm, M, T, F; 10 am – 6 pm, W, TH

Number of Weeks: 52

Mount Wachusett Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy or related conditions, gender identity, sex characteristics, sex stereotypes or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies.

The College prohibits sex‑based harassment. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, or retaliation shall be referred to the College’s affirmative action officer and/or Title IX coordinator, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.