Financial Aid Coordinator

10,000 Degrees • San Rafael, CA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

10,000 Degrees is a non-profit organization dedicated to unlocking student success by providing equitable opportunities for college education and career success. The Financial Aid Coordinator plays a crucial role in supporting the organization's financial aid and literacy initiatives. This position provides day-to-day support, acting as a direct resource for regional program teams and students. The Coordinator will assist with loan navigation, financial aid reviews, and complex application questions. Key responsibilities include managing financial aid 'spaces' (both in-person and virtual), co-leading workshops and trainings, and ensuring staff and students have the necessary tools for success. The role involves close collaboration with frontline staff to implement foundational frameworks and curricula designed by leadership, ensuring seamless financial aid support across all regions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 3+ years of general experience in financial aid, student services, or a related higher education field
• Strong working knowledge of FAFSA and CADAA processes
• Familiarity with student loan types (subsidized vs. unsubsidized), federal/state grants, and financial aid award letters
• Confident public speaker comfortable presenting in front of small or large groups
• Ability to translate complex financial terms into simple, relatable language
• Strong interpersonal skills with a customer service mindset geared toward supporting internal team members and geographically dispersed regional staff
• Proficiency in Microsoft and Google Suite applications
• Demonstrated enthusiasm and initiative, including the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Willingness to learn and be self-reflective
• Unwavering, deeply-rooted passion for working alongside first-generation, low-income and DACA/undocumented student populations
• Have a reliable means of transportation to attend regular work as well as other off-site business functions.
• Applicants must submit to fingerprinting and provide a clear tuberculosis (TB) test as part of the background check.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English proficiency is strongly preferred
• Geographic proximity to the region(s) being served

Responsibilities

• Manage and staff dedicated financial aid spaces, providing a welcoming and consistent environment for students to drop in for 1:1 assistance.
• Conduct detailed, hands-on reviews of student financial aid packages to ensure accuracy and help students identify critical funding gaps.
• Proactively engage students on-campus and virtually to ensure they meet critical financial aid deadlines and loan acceptance windows.
• Manage the scheduling, materials, and onsite coordination for financial literacy workshops, evening sessions, and financial aid weekend events.
• Ensure College Access and Success teams have the most up-to-date worksheets, guides, and tools required to support students with their financial aid planning.
• Track common student pain points (e.g., loan confusion, verification issues) to provide data-informed feedback to the Director to help refine general and regional curricula.
• Support the Director in attending community events, schools sites, and fundraising initiatives to build awareness and represent the organization’s financial aid efforts.
• Partner with internal teams to continuously enter and maintain pristine financial aid milestone tracking within Salesforce.
• Travel regularly within assigned region(s) to partner school campuses, 10,000 Degrees offices, and special event locations.
• Participate in staff meetings, professional development activities, and supervisor check-ins.
• Support and represent 10,000 Degrees at fundraising and appreciation events as needed.
• Execute other duties as assigned to support the organization’s evolving needs.

Benefits

• Excellent healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 15 days paid vacation + holidays and paid sick leave
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Professional development including conferences, seminars, webinars, and directed career advice

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level