Scholarship Coordinator/Lead Financial Aid Advisor

California State University, Bakersfield • Bakersfield, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at California State University, Bakersfield is committed to maximizing financial aid opportunities to support student access, retention, and success. Under the general direction of the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships, the Scholarship Coordinator/Lead Financial Aid Advisor provides leadership and compliance oversight for all institutional and external scholarship programs, totaling approximately $1.2 million and benefiting more than 550 students across 200 funding sources annually. The incumbent establishes operational frameworks for scholarship administration, the Scholarship Universe platform, ensures proper endowment alignment and reporting, and collaborates with University Advancement to maintain donor compliance and stewardship standards. This position also serves as the primary financial aid counselor for Special Populations programs including EOP, TRIO, Guardian Scholars, Basic Needs, Project Rebound, and Emergency Grants, serves as a lead advisor for complex student financial-aid cases, and provides operational and policy support for compliance initiatives. The incumbent develops, recommends, and implements internal policies and procedures, audits and reconciliations, and staff training to ensure that all scholarship and financial-aid activities meet federal Title IV, CSU, and institutional requirements. By exercising a high degree of professional judgment and independence, this role is instrumental in safeguarding program integrity, mitigating institutional risk, and ensuring ethical and compliant administration of all scholarship and financial-aid resources.

Requirements

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field plus upper division or graduate course work in counseling techniques, interviewing and conflict resolution where such are job related and equivalent to four (4) years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience which includes experience in advising students individually and in groups, and in analysis and resolution of complex student services problems.
• A master’s degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work or a job related field may be substituted for one year of professional experience.
• A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling, guidance or a job related field may be substituted for two years of the required professional experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional, personal or career counseling.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• Thorough working knowledge of federal, state and institutional financial aid programs, policies, procedures (especially the Scholarship program and the Scholarship Universe software.
• Thorough knowledge of the Scholarship Universe Management System, check processing protocol, and PeopleSoft system or ability to quickly learn.
• Thorough knowledge or ability to quickly learn about the 300+ scholarship programs.
• Demonstrated organization and analytical skills (including experience in reconciling large accounts and/or program funds).
• In-depth understanding of Title IV federal student aid programs (Pell, Direct Loans, TEACH, FWS, etc.).
• Familiarity with California state financial aid programs (Cal Grant, Dream Act, Middle Class Scholarship).
• Knowledge of CSU Chancellor’s Office policies and applicable executive orders.
• Understanding of FERPA, SAP, Return to Title IV (R2T4), and consumer disclosure requirements.
• Ability to interpret and apply audit findings, corrective actions, and internal controls.
• Ability to interpret evolving regulations, audit reports, ISIR flags (e.g. over awards, aggregate, C flags), and formulate precise corrective strategies.
• Familiarity with compliance monitoring tools, checklists, and documentation practices.
• In-depth understanding of Title IV federal student aid programs (Pell, Direct Loans, TEACH, FWS, etc.).
• Ability to determine the appropriate course of action and proper techniques to utilize while engaged with individuals and groups in personal interactions of a sensitive nature.
• Ability to reason logically, analyze, and solve organizational and operating problems of one or several program areas.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and initiate actions necessary to implement administrative or group decisions or recommendations.
• Ability to analyze and define complex organizational, policy or procedural problems, collect and evaluate data, draw valid conclusions and project consequences of various alternative courses of action.
• Ability to understand the roles and responsibilities of others and to gauge relationships accordingly by considering the variety of the interrelationships, motivations and goals of the members of the organization served.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy to effectively handle a broad range of high level and sensitive interpersonal situations with diverse personalities, and to respond appropriately to conflicts and problems.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner.
• Thorough knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Ability to interpret, communicate and apply policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Excellent computer skills and competence with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, on-line systems, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Working knowledge of or ability to quickly learn University infrastructure.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work occasional holidays and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in one of the behavioral sciences, public or business administration, or job job-related field.
• PeopleSoft experience in a college or university financial aid office.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment, possessing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.

Responsibilities

• Lead the coordination, management, and reconciliation of all institutional academic scholarships, including endowed, annual, and external “pass-through” awards; CSU systemwide scholarships; the President’s Matching Scholarship Fund Program (PMSFP); and the CSU Future Scholars Program (CFSP), each with distinct eligibility, selection, and reporting requirements.
• Serve as the campus authority for scholarship administration, ensuring that all awards are processed in accordance with donor agreements, endowment spending policies, and university audit standards.
• Establish operational and compliance frameworks that guide departments in interpreting donor intent, fund utilization, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee and maintain the Scholarship Universe database, ensuring data integrity across scholarship criteria, applicant pools, donor records, and funding sources.
• Collaborate with University Advancement leadership to review endowment spending reports, establish fund availability, and confirm compliance with donor intent and institutional policies.
• Prepare annual scholarship memoranda and coordinate publication of award opportunities to ensure transparent and equitable student access.
• Guide departmental scholarship committees through eligibility review, selection, and awarding processes, ensuring adherence to established criteria and documentation standards.
• Conduct regular reconciliation and quality-control audits between Scholarship Universe, PeopleSoft, and Student Financial Services to ensure that all scholarship funds are accurately awarded and disbursed.
• Develop, implement, and update written procedures for scholarship setup, processing, and donor reporting to maintain compliance with federal and CSU guidelines.
• Analyze and resolve discrepancies between endowment records, campus ledgers, and Scholarship Universe data; prepare corrective actions and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in providing training and technical guidance to staff and campus partners on scholarship processing, donor compliance, and system functionality.
• Provide co-leadership in institutional compliance by monitoring and interpreting changes to Title IV and CSU Chancellor’s Office policy; translate federal guidance (Dear Colleague Letters, Electronic Announcements, FSA Handbook updates) into campus procedures.
• Develop, document, and implement internal controls and business processes designed to prevent non-compliance, audit findings, and financial liability to the institution.
• Conduct compliance reviews and data audits across all federal, state, and institutional programs to ensure adherence to regulatory and policy standards.
• Collaborate with the Director to draft and update departmental policies and procedures, incorporating corrective-action plans when discrepancies are identified.
• Coordinate and respond to internal and external audits, prepare evidence, narratives, and support data to demonstrate compliance and remediate findings.
• Create and deliver compliance training sessions for staff on key regulations (Pell, R2T4, verification, consumer information, SAP) to maintain audit readiness.
• Lead risk-assessment initiatives each aid year, identifying operational vulnerabilities and proposing data-driven improvements to strengthen compliance posture.
• Serve as a lead campus advisor and point of contact for departmental issues in the absence of administrators and/or the Senior Lead Advisor, exercising advanced professional judgment in resolving student and operational matters.
• Provide expert level counseling to students, parents, faculty, and staff regarding financial-aid processes, eligibility, and regulatory requirements requiring professional judgement beyond standard regulatory interpretation.
• Review files, evaluate exceptional circumstances, and determine need/eligibility for aid, applying professional judgment in accordance with federal and CSU policies.
• Verify and revise financial-aid files and perform awarding/revisions for approximately 2,000 students annually.
• Coordinate with campus and external offices to resolve complex academic, financial, or personal issues impacting student eligibility.
• Lead outreach and financial-literacy initiatives at campus events, some occurring evenings or weekends, to promote understanding of aid programs and responsible funding decisions.
• Participate in university committees and professional conferences, representing the Financial Aid Office and CSUB campus in discussions of regulatory updates and best practices.
• Provide mentoring and training to staff and student assistants, ensuring consistent, compliant, and student-centered advising practices.
• Serve as the primary financial aid counselor for Special Population Programs, including EOP, TRIO, Guardian Scholars, Basic Needs, Project Rebound, and Emergency Grants.
• Collaborate with campus partners to connect students with financial aid resources and address financial barriers affecting persistence and success.
• Provide individualized financial aid counseling regarding eligibility, awards, SAP, verification, professional judgment, and available financial aid resources.
• Review student records, determine aid eligibility, resolve conflicting information, and process financial aid awards in compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Administer and process Emergency Grants, EOP, and other specialized funding programs in accordance with federal, state, institutional, and program guidelines
• Assist students with completing the FAFSA or California Dream Act application and resolving application issues.
• Monitor students' financial aid status, communicate outstanding requirements, and ensure timely processing of aid.

Benefits

• CSUB offers a best-in-class benefit package for eligible employees that includes an array of medical plans, choice of dental plans, vision coverage, retirement participation in CalPERS, CSU tuition waiver, up to 24 vacation days per year, sick leave with unlimited accrual, 15 paid holidays per year and more!

What This Job Offers

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