Financial Wellness Coach

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Business Unit: Rush Medical Center

Hospital: Rush University Medical Center

Department: Student Financial Aid

Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)

Shift: Shift 1

Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:00:00 AM – 4:30:00 PM)

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).

Pay Range: $23.12 – $32.66 per hour
Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush’s anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

Job Summary: 

The Financial Wellness Coach is a senior-level, student-centered professional responsible for delivering comprehensive financial case management and high-impact financial wellness coaching to current and prospective Rush University students. This role plays a critical function in supporting student persistence, academic success, and degree completion by guiding students through complex financial decision-making and the full financial aid lifecycle.

The Coach provides individualized, high-touch financial coaching that integrates education financing strategies, budgeting, credit management, and financial wellness principles. In addition to direct student support, the Financial Wellness Coach contributes to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of institutional financial wellness tools, resources, and programming. This position requires the application of professional judgment, regulatory awareness, and a proactive, equity-minded approach to student financial support.

The Financial Wellness Coach exemplifies the Rush mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in personal finance, business, higher education, counseling, social work, or a related field.
• Experience providing individualized personal financial coaching, financial aid advising, and/or case management.
• Experience working with students in a higher education environment.
• Experience with student information systems, financial aid platforms, or case management tools.
• Working knowledge of university systems, financial aid processes, success coaching models, and/or financial wellness theories.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and rapport-building skills with demonstrated ability to support a diverse student population.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information in compliance with FERPA and institutional policy.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage a large caseload effectively while meeting deadlines.
• Proficiency with standard office software and ability to learn new systems quickly.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in personal finance, business, higher education, student affairs, counseling, or a related field.
• Possession of—or willingness to obtain—a financial literacy or financial coaching certification (e.g., NEFC©, AFCPE©, AFC©, CFP®).
• Experience using financial wellness or coaching frameworks, such as motivational interviewing.
• Experience working with graduate and/or professional students in a higher education environment.
• Experience developing and facilitating presentations, workshops, or group learning sessions.
• Familiarity with private student loans, lender requirements, and alternative funding processes.

Competencies:

• Ability to work with students in a supportive, nonjudgmental coaching approach
• Analytical skills for reviewing financial aid data and student accounts
• Strong organizational and case-management skills
• Ability to manage a large caseload while meeting deadlines
• Comfort handling complex financial scenarios
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Cultural humility and ability to support a diverse student body
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Google Workspace
• Familiarity with financial literacy platforms (e.g., iGrad, EverFi)
• Experience with student information systems (Banner, PeopleSoft, Slate, etc.)
• Ability to learn new software quickly

Job Responsibilities:

Student Financial Coaching & Case Management

• Serve as the primary financial case manager for an assigned caseload of approximately 400 students, providing individualized, one-on-one financial wellness coaching through a highly intensive, relationship-based service model.
• Apply advanced financial coaching techniques and professional judgment to assess student financial circumstances, identify risk factors, and develop customized strategies to support financial stability and academic progression.
• Assist students in developing comprehensive education financing plans, including evaluation and responsible use of federal and alternative loans, payment plans, 529 plans, scholarships, and emergency funding resources.
• Counsel students on credit management strategies, including credit report review, credit-building practices, and maintaining credit profiles required for alternative loan eligibility.
• Ensure timely completion of required financial aid documentation for students in the assigned caseload and proactively intervene when barriers arise.
• Track and monitor key financial milestones, identify trends or concerns, and initiate early interventions to mitigate financial risk and support student retention.
• Provide coverage and support for other Coaches’ caseloads as needed (e.g., drop-in advising, staff absences, peak processing periods).

Financial Wellness Education & Outreach

• Conduct proactive outreach and maintain consistent, meaningful communication with assigned students related to education financial planning, financial literacy, and wellness topics.
• Develop, deliver, and evaluate financial wellness workshops, group coaching sessions, and educational programming for students and families.
• Support Rush University recruitment and retention initiatives through presentations, information sessions, orientations, and prospective student events.

Program Development & Institutional Support

• Contribute subject-matter expertise to the development, assessment, and continuous improvement of financial wellness tools, resources, and educational materials.
• Participate in the creation and refinement of standard operating procedures, training materials, and departmental processes to ensure consistency, quality, and compliance.
• Maintain working knowledge of the full financial aid lifecycle and provide essential operational support to financial aid processing teams during critical periods as needed.
• Collaborate with campus partners to align financial wellness initiatives with broader student success and wellbeing efforts.

Reporting, Assessment & Compliance

• Prepare and submit regular reports to department leadership, including monthly coaching activity, student engagement metrics, identified trends, emerging themes, and outcomes.
• Maintain accurate documentation and case notes in accordance with FERPA, institutional policy, and professional standards.
• Ensure coaching practices align with federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of institutional priorities and student success initiatives.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

About Rush University Medical Center

Rush University System for Health (RUSH) is an academic health system whose mission is to improve the health of the individuals and the diverse communities it serves through the integration of outstanding patient care, education, research and community partnerships. RUSH comprises Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital, as well as numerous outpatient care facilities. Rush University, with more than 2,500 students, is a health sciences university that comprises Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College. Rush University Medical Center is an elite medical community recognized for excellence in patient care, medical discovery and clinical expertise. Our continued pursuits have earned Rush University Medical Center the distinction of being on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2021-2022. This places the Medical Center amongst the top 20 of the 3,000 hospitals evaluated. U.S. News & World Report has also recognized nine Rush programs amongst the nation’s best, including top ten national rankings for neurology and neurosurgery and orthopedics. T…hese accolades, along with many others that include a decade of Magnet® designation, are a reflection of the collective efforts and commitment to excellence demonstrated by our physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses and medical staff. Rush University Medical Center has received Vizient’s Quality Leadership Award, ranking first among 99 academic medical centers across the country. For the second consecutive year, all three Rush University System for Health hospitals have earned the LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader designation in the Healthcare Equality Index.

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