Program Coordinator II (STARS GEAR UP)

Utah State University • Logan, UT

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

Utah State University’s STARS GEAR UP program is hiring a College Advisor (Program Coordinator II) to support students in three federal GEAR UP grants. As part of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP), the program provides academic preparation services to students and their families in partner school districts serving low-income communities. This position requires regular travel to USU campuses/centers and partner schools across Utah. This position is eligible for hybrid work within the state of Utah. The College Advisor plays a critical role in the college-going pipeline—helping middle school students explore career pathways, supporting high school students with college preparation, and advising first-year college students as they transition into post-secondary education. The Advisor will also collaborate closely with Site Coordinators, school staff, families, and campus partners to deliver programming, support summer camps, and ensure students are connected to needed resources. This role will work to create professional partnerships with higher educational institutions throughout Utah to help GEAR UP reach grant goals and objectives. This position is telework eligible within the state of Utah. Employment contingent upon annual federal funding and needs of the program

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Counseling, or closely related field; plus, two years of experience working with middle, high school or college freshmen students.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, or closely related field.
• Data entry and analysis.
• Experience with college Financial Aid and student services administration.
• Proficiency in event planning and facilitation.
• Experience with GEAR UP or similar federal grants/student service programs.
• Familiarity with Northern Utah (e.g., community ties, residence, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized face-to-face advising to GEAR UP college first-year students, supporting: Academic navigation, class scheduling and major exploration, financial aid and scholarship processes, and accessing campus resources (tutoring, advising, involvement, etc.). Contingent upon continued funding and need, this will continue for the first year of the position before transitioning to focusing on secondary school students.
• Record and track all student interactions and programming data in reporting systems.
• Provide direct advising, college and career exploration, early awareness activities, and ongoing academic/success support as the students progresses through secondary and postsecondary education.
• Assist Site Coordinators with: College visits and campus day trips, FAFSA and financial aid workshops, parent engagement nights, school community events, classroom or advisory lessons and any additional site-level college access programming.
• Maintain a regular in-school presence through classroom visits, AVID support, tabling at lunch, and participation in school events, build strong relationships with teachers, counselors, and administrators.
• Promote college and career pathways, including 2-year degrees, 4-year universities, technical colleges, and certificate programs.
• Participate in planning long-term college access strategies, collaboration, and shared programming across the three grants.
• Collaborate with Site coordinators, Program Coordinators and Directors to plan GEAR UP summer camps.
• Participate in ongoing in-person and virtual PD through program partners, contingent on available funding

What This Job Offers

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