Student Accounts Specialist

Pitzer College • Claremont, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Student Accounts Specialist independently performs financial analysis, account reconciliations, reporting, and daily student accounts operations. The position maintains accurate billing, cash receipts, student account transactions, and financial records and reconciles activity in the Student Information System (SIS) with the College’s general ledger in Workday. Because Student Accounts serves as a primary point of contact for students and families regarding financial matters, the position requires a high degree of patience, professionalism, empathy, and customer service, including the ability to navigate complex or sensitive conversations while maintaining accuracy and consistently following through to resolution. The Specialist applies accounting knowledge and independent judgment to review trial balances, investigate discrepancies, resolve reconciling items, and prepare supporting documentation for financial reporting and audits. Responsibilities include scholarship, tuition remission, federal financial aid, housing and meal plans, and other student account reconciliations. The Specialist serves as the Senior Manager of Student Accounts’ key operational partner across all areas of the department, sharing responsibility for daily operations, financial analysis, problem-solving, departmental projects, and process improvements. The Specialist partners with the Senior Manager to develop and implement procedures, address changing priorities, and maintain continuity of service. The position also plays an active role in the consortial SIS implementation scheduled to go live in July 2027, including testing, data validation, financial integrations, and the transition to new workflows.

Requirements

• Strong working knowledge of accounting principles, accounts receivable, journal entries, general ledger activity, trial balances, and clearing and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Ability to interpret Workday financial reports and trace SIS transactions to corresponding ledger activity, investigate discrepancies, and determine appropriate corrections.
• Knowledge of scholarship, tuition remission, federal financial aid, housing and meal plan, and other student account transactions and their reconciliation requirements.
• High attention to detail when posting lockbox payments, manual debit and credit adjustments, and other financial transactions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Excel, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, and reconciliation workbooks; ability to analyze detailed transaction data and maintain clear financial documentation.
• Ability to participate in system implementation, data validation, user acceptance testing, financial integration review, and process documentation.
• Ability to maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and institutional programs, regulations, policies, and procedures, including college billing and refund policies, FERPA confidentiality requirements, and federal Title IV regulations.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, research complex account issues, prioritize concurrent reconciliations and operational deadlines, and escalate matters appropriately.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to communicate with students, parents, colleagues, and the campus community; ability to explain financial activity and resolve concerns professionally.
• Demonstrated customer service skills and ability to work effectively with individuals who may be frustrated, confused, or concerned about financial matters, while maintaining patience, professionalism, accuracy, confidentiality, and appropriate boundaries.
• Ability to collaborate with the Senior Manager and campus partners to implement procedures, improve workflows, and support staff.
• Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Adapt quickly to changing priorities, new procedures, and evolving technology while working efficiently and accurately in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn and work in both the current and new Student Information Systems concurrently during the implementation and transition period.
• Take initiative and step in to support colleagues, assist with time-sensitive work, and address departmental needs as they arise.
• Bring a positive, approachable attitude and a strong commitment to serving students and the campus community while maintaining professionalism in all interactions.
• Demonstrate curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset by questioning inefficient processes, identifying opportunities to use technology more effectively, and proposing practical solutions that improve accuracy, efficiency, and the student experience.
• Use available reports, system tools, documentation, training materials, and campus resources to research questions, investigate discrepancies, and work through unfamiliar issues independently.
• Demonstrate persistence, resourcefulness, and accountability when resolving complex issues; independently pursue questions through available systems and resources, follow issues through to resolution, and escalate appropriately after completing reasonable research and bringing forward findings and potential solutions.
• Remain receptive to feedback and ongoing learning, and contribute to a collaborative and service-oriented office environment.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in accounts receivable, accounting, bookkeeping, financial analysis, student accounts, or a related field, including demonstrated experience performing account reconciliations and resolving complex account issues.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced office setting is required.

Nice To Haves

• Bi-lingual in Spanish desirable.
• Higher education experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Answer incoming student account calls, manage the department’s primary email account, and assist students, parents, and office visitors with billing, balances, payments, refunds, and account policies.
• Take ownership of inquiries through resolution, including researching issues, coordinating with other offices when necessary, and providing timely follow-up.
• Perform recurring and year-end reconciliations between SIS activity and the Workday general ledger, including student receivables, revenue, clearing accounts, and balance sheet accounts.
• Performs reconciliations between SIS and other systems used across campus.
• Analyze trial balances, general ledger detail, SIS transaction reports, and supporting records to identify missing transactions, incorrect mappings, posting errors, timing differences, and unexplained variances.
• Prepare and process appropriate journal entries and financial adjustments; maintain reconciliation schedules, supporting documentation of outstanding items and their resolution.
• Partner with the Senior Manager of Student Accounts on year-end reconciliations, annual balance sheet reconciliations, interim audit fieldwork, and supporting audit requests.
• Prepare and review student billing statements in CX or the successor SIS and publish statements through Transact.
• Post and verify billing updates, wire payments, lockbox payments, returned checks and fees, manual debit and credit adjustments, and other student account transactions.
• Post student health service charges, and fines, and all other miscellaneous charges.
• Process returned Cashnet or Transact payments.
• Process ad hoc refunds, electronic refunds, and student refund requests in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures.
• Adjust tuition, meal plan and housing charges when students drop courses or request a leave of absence.
• Review account activity for accuracy, investigate transaction discrepancies, and coordinate timely corrections.
• Perform spot audits regularly.
• Analyze monthly accounts receivable aging reports, identify past-due accounts, and recommend follow-up priorities to the Senior Manager.
• Contact students about outstanding balances, document outreach, and provide due diligence in collecting amounts owed.
• Partner with the Senior Manager to review accounts for semester holds and remove holds after payments are received or qualifying payment arrangements are documented.
• Provide guidance on policies and daily student account decisions in the supervisor’s absence.
• Assist with preparing collections files and sending them to agency each semester.
• Communicate policies and procedures clearly and accurately, and assist with communications for new, returning, and non-Pitzer students for fall, spring, and summer.
• Research, resolve, or refer student disputes and appeals in collaboration with the responsible departments; document outcomes and provide timely follow-up.
• Navigate difficult or sensitive interactions with students and families with patience, empathy, professionalism, and sound judgment; de-escalate concerns, clearly explain policies and financial information, identify appropriate solutions or next steps, and follow through to resolution.
• Establish and maintain a standard appointment process using existing kiosk functionality to streamline student scheduling with the team.
• Partner with communications to create and post departmental communications on social media platforms and all communications that go out to the community
• Serve as a key Student Accounts partner in the consortial implementation of the new SIS scheduled to go live in July 2027.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager, IT, Accounting, Financial Aid, Registrar, and implementation partners on system configuration, testing, and transition activities.
• Validate converted student account data, opening balances, historical transactions, and financial reports; investigate and document conversion discrepancies.
• Test billing assessments, payments, financial aid postings, refunds, adjustments, and reporting.
• Document testing results and coordinate resolution of system issues.
• Validate account mappings and financial integrations between the SIS and Workday by tracing transactions through to the ledger and reconciling test results.
• Develop procedures and reconciliation workflows for the new SIS with the Senior Manager, support staff training, and assist with post-go-live reconciliation and troubleshooting.
• Partner with the Senior Manager to research, design, implement, and evaluate new processes and procedures that better meet departmental needs, including billing, reconciliation, reporting, payments, and collections.
• Document and maintain standard operating procedures and reconciliation guides; recommend internal controls and workflow changes that improve accuracy and consistency.
• Work across Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, IT, Student Affairs, Housing and Finance and other campus offices to resolve issues, build effective working relationships, and support improvements to student accounts operations.
• Represent Student Accounts in meetings as requested, gather relevant information, and report findings and recommendations to the Senior Manager of Student Accounts.
• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Benefits

• competitive compensation
• health, dental, and vision insurance
• retirement savings plans
• generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.)
• tuition reimbursement
• tuition exchange program participation

What This Job Offers

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