Senior Online Student Financial Services Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

LACKAWANNA COLLEGE HAS BEEN VOTED ONE OF THE

“BEST PLACES TO WORK IN PA” FOR 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025!

Lackawanna College is a private, accredited college serving the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Our main campus is located in downtown Scranton, and our footprint includes satellite centers in Covington Twp., Hawley, Hazleton, Sunbury, Towanda, Tunkhannock, Bethlehem, Chambersburg, and Greensburg. 

Our mission is to provide a quality education to all persons who seek to improve their lives and better the communities in which they live.  We provide our students with a direct path to a bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or one of many different professional certifications. Additionally, our Continuing Education department helps put the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania back to work with modern career skills. Lackawanna is also one of the most cost-efficient regional higher education institutions.

If our mission inspires you, and you are willing to go the extra mile to help our students succeed, please feel free to apply for this or future employment opportunities for which you meet the minimum qualifications. Please know that only the candidates who meet the minimum qualifications can be considered, and only those selected for interviews will be contacted by a college representative.  No phone calls, please .

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBJECTIVES:

The Student Financial Service Counselor is a student-centered services position providing an extremely high level of customer service to students, families and prospective students. The Student Financial Service Counselor is the content expert on federal, state and institutional financial applications and awards, eligibility criteria, payment options and processing. This position serves enrolled and prospective students, and other college staff on the financial aid applications process and financial aid policies, making the overall experience as seamless as possible. This role reviews and verifies student eligibility for various aid programs, calculates funding, and explains financial aid awards to students. The role also includes providing excellent customer service, managing incoming application files, monitoring student enrollment and financial records, and assisting with scholarship and financial aid grant program communication. Additionally, the job requires researching and analyzing student financial histories and participating in office meetings and activities. This position will also coordinate with other departments and satellite locations within the College to promote communication and information about programs and services in a professional and organized work environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Provide counseling by explaining financial aid award packages based on specific program eligibility and total award amounts; review and verify initial and incoming FAFSA results to review student eligibility for various aid programs; identifies award availability through various sources; calculate various funding to create a total financial aid award explanation; coordinates all incoming requests, including documentation submission.
2. Monitors student enrollment and explains award recalculations when necessary. 
3. Assists with Student Financial Services presentations as needed to assist with the understanding of office practices such as general guidance of federal, stat,e and institutional aid programs.
4. Adheres to Federal Verification standards by ensuring data reported on the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid accurately reflects data reported on corresponding federal tax returns.
5. Resolves discrepancies with financial aid information, explains and enforces federal, state, and College policies.
6. Conduct individual interviews and information sessions with potential and current students/families to accurately inform them of all financial aid options and opportunities, requirements, and the application process, requirements, and payment options to resolve balances.
7. Research, verify, analyze, and assess student financial histories, including defaulted loans and/or repayment obligations at other institutions. 
8. Provides guidance and serves as a role model in solving customer issues in a satisfactory fashion and provides the customer with superior experience in transacting business with Lackawanna College and its representatives.
9. Provides students with in-depth counseling pertaining to their unique circumstances in terms of Return to Title IV (R2T4) funds.
10. Assists with explaining Title IV refunds and repayments, including U.S. Department of Education and National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) notifications. 
11. Assist with processing the FAFSA and other required documents.
12. Review financial aid applications for accuracy.
13. Initiate and conduct follow-up activities to obtain necessary documentation and paperwork for all federal and state funding agencies.
14. Assist the Associate Director of Student Accounts for Student Financial Services with outreach for collection of past-due accounts.
15. Assist students who are veterans or their dependents in completing their certificate of eligibility and/or other required documentation to obtain entitled benefits.
16. Participates as a member of the Office of Student Financial Services during meetings, College events, and other activities. 
17. Process cash, check, credit, and debit card payment transactions.
18. Maintains current knowledge of federal and state regulations.
19. Perform all other duties as assigned. 

KEY COMPETENCIES:

1. Excellent interpersonal skills; and the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external customers. 
2. Ability to provide an extremely high level of customer service. 
3. Must be able to counsel in an impartial, non-judgmental manner and maintain confidentiality.
4. Must be in good standing with Title IV loans in order to obtain access to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
5. Proficient at managing multiple competing priorities.
6. Must be organized with extreme attention to detail. 
7. High degree of professionalism with the ability to follow through and meet deadlines.
8. Team player with the ability to be flexible.
9. Ability to represent the College in a public setting and perform presentations to large audiences.
10. Available to work some evenings and weekends as needed for Open Houses, Orientations, Dorm Move-In as well as any other assigned workshops / seminars. 
11. Strong computer/internet skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at a minimum.
12. Ability to find solutions within Financial Aid guidelines.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s Degree with a preferred minimum of 5 years financial aid knowledge in a position with responsibility for processing and providing quality service to students/families in an education environment.

EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated previous experience with the financial aid process as it pertains to higher education.
• Experience with Financial Aid delivery systems and especially Starfish, Salesforce, Jenzabar and PowerFaids highly desirable.

Applications will only be accepted via online method by clicking the link below. Deadline for applications, November 13, 2026. No phone calls, please.

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In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other applicable non-discrimination laws, Lackawanna College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran’s status, or genetic information in its educational programs and activities, admissions, and with regard to employment.

Lackawanna College is an accredited, private, non-profit educational institution providing opportunities for career and personal development within selected associates degree, certificate and continuing education program.