What is a financial aid officer?

A financial aid officer reviews student financial aid applications at postsecondary institutions and determines approval and the amount of financial aid awarded to the students. As a financial aid officer, your job duties include assessing the student’s and their parents’ financial documents, credit history, and other factors to determine eligibility. Once the student is approved for aid, you compile an aid package based on how much the student has been awarded and the kinds of funding available, such as work study, federal loans, and scholarships. The aid package may include stipulations on the minimum grade point average or participation in specific extracurricular activities for the student to continue to receive their stipend. Financial aid officers may make the initial decisions about who receives aid and the amounts, but their recommendations often need approval from a higher-level administrator or committee.