Financial Aid

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Background –

Working within financial aid at the higher education level requires an understanding of the way student’s pay for college. Duties generally include working with students and families to navigate the complex system of financial aid. Working with federal, state and local governmental and third party lending agencies is also required.

What can I expect to make annually as a financial aid advisor? $42, 619 *

What classes at GVSU may help me prepare for this career? Discuss with your advisor which courses among those on this list, along with other courses not listed here, would best serve your career goals. 

1. PSY 310 – Behavior Modification
2. PSY 325 – Educational Psychology
3. PSY 360 – Social Psychology
4. SOC 290 – Sociology of Education
5. Minor in Business
   1. BUS 201 – Legal Environment for Business
   2. ACC 212 – Principles of Financial Accounting
   3. ACC 213 – Principles of Managerial Accounting
   4. MGT 331 – Concepts of Management
   5. MKT 350 – Marketing Management
   6. FIN 320 – Managerial Finance

What experiences outside of my classes could I explore?

1. Seeking employment within Grand Valley’s Financial Aid office as an undergraduate would allow for great hands on experience

What skills should a financial aid advisor have in their career? Organization, planning and communication (oral and written) skills are important to have while working in this field. In addition, the ability to think critically about your caseload and manage many different tasks at one time is also important.

Employer Possibilities – Colleges and universities hire financial counselors or advisors and their supervisors. Their titles may include “student financial aid coordinator”, “assistant director, student financial services”, “financial aid officer”.

*Glassdoor.com (2017) for Financial Aid Advisor