Financial Aid Student Loan Analyst

The Beach•Long Beach, CA

About The Position

The Financial Aid Student Loan Analyst coordinates and conducts Title IV student loan processing, private student loan processing, and related compliance activities for the CSULB Office of Financial Aid. The incumbent serves as the operational point for Federal Direct Loans and private loans, ensuring accurate origination, disbursement, and monthly reconciliation within federal and other regulatory timelines. The analyst also partners closely with the Federal Grants Coordinator and serves as backup for Federal Pell Grant origination, disbursement, error resolution, and reconciliation. Responsibilities include data integrity monitoring; issue triage and resolution; liaison work with external partners (COD, NSLDS, NSC, ELM, and servicers); internal reporting; quality assurance; and staff training—supporting timely, compliant delivery of aid to students and strong stewardship of university and federal funds. Furthermore, the incumbent provides services that are equitable, inclusive, and culturally sensitive to enhance the quality of campus life. This position uses a student-centered and equity-minded approach in all communication and service efforts.

Requirements

Customer Service & Service Excellence; Strategic Thinking & Planning; Problem Solving & Decision Making; Team Building & Development; Professional Knowledge/Continuous Learning.
Advanced working knowledge of Federal Direct Loans and Federal Pell Grant policies, cash management, and reconciliation requirements.
Working knowledge of accounting and reconciliation principles related to financial aid.
Experience with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (preferred) or similar student administration and imaging/workflow systems; ability to run queries and analyze large data sets.
Proficiency with COD and NSLDS (including enrollment intersections with NSC); familiarity with servicer portals and private loan platforms- ELM is preferred.
Demonstrated skill in testing and validating system changes, drafting functional specs and maintaining procedure documentation.
Ability to analyze information, identify root causes, and recommend process and control improvements.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present to groups and to draft clear desk guides.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet strict deadlines, and maintain high standards of data integrity and compliance.
Commitment to equity, civility, and non-discrimination; ability to work effectively with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to communicate with an ethnically and culturally diverse campus community.
Ability to follow all university policies, procedures, and guidelines including but not limited to safety, civility, information security, and non-discrimination policies and procedures.
Ability to contribute to a positive university experience for each and every student and assist in achieving the university's commitment to a "vision of excellence."
Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and two (2) years of related experience required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial aid operations or a related student services area with direct involvement in Title IV processing, or a combination of education and other relevant experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities preferred.

Responsibilities

Federal and Private Loan Program Administration & Compliance. Lead end-to-end Direct Loan and Private Loan processing (origination through disbursement, error resolution, holds/overrides, and monthly reconciliation); monitor edits and rejects; resolve complex cases; serve as campus expert and primary point of contact with COD/NSLDS/ELM/lenders/servicers.
Fiscal Processing, Reconciliation & Reporting. Coordinate daily/weekly reviews of edits and exception reports; data analysis of loan errors; complete month-end and year-end close activities; collaborate with Student Financial Services to reconcile loan accounts; resolve stale dated checks; prepare management reports. Assist in federal loan aid year program close-out. Coordinate with Financial Aid Technical Analyst on the review and error resolution of loan file transmission between PeopleSoft and third-party/federal systems.
Systems, Data Integrity & Quality Assurance. Conduct functional testing for fixes/upgrades; write functional specs for configuration; maintain procedure documentation; monitor enrollment reporting intersections with NSC/NSLDS; ensure data quality controls. Coordinate with Associate Director of Systems on annual loan programs' setup; implementing updates and enhancements to loan programs' setup to comply with federal and private loan regulation changes; onboarding setup for new private loan lenders.
Federal Pell Grant Backup. When needed, perform Pell origination/disbursement, POP/MRR resolution, and monthly reconciliation, coordinate with the Federal Grants Coordinator on timelines, corrections, and COD communications.
Training & Communication. Maintain fluency with regulations governing federal loans and private loans. Develop and maintain business process guides; train staff on loan/Pell processes and new regulatory changes; communicate policy clarifications to campus partners. Coordinate the sending of Student Loan Exit notifications at the end of each payment period.