Financial Aid Counselor/Program Coordinator

CSU Careers • Long Beach, CA

2d

About The Position

Join the vibrant community at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)! Located just three miles from the Pacific Ocean, CSULB offers an inspiring workplace and an exceptional Southern California lifestyle. Our 322-acre campus—one of the largest in the CSU system—serves more than 42,000 students and is known for its commitment to student success, innovation, and impactful academic and research initiatives. As a member of the CSULB community, you’ll experience a dynamic environment filled with cultural landmarks, collaborative energy, and opportunities to make a meaningful difference. Work-life balance thrives here. Long Beach blends coastal relaxation with urban vibrancy, offering miles of beaches, year-round sunshine, a thriving arts and food scene, and convenient access to both Los Angeles and Orange County. It’s an ideal place to grow your career while enjoying everything Southern California has to offer. Job Summary The Financial Aid Counselor/Program Coordinator performs a variety of processing and specialized financial aid functions to facilitate administration of financial aid programs and delivery of funds to students in support of access and student success. Activities include determining eligibility; awarding aid; facilitating problem solving with students and parents; and making professional judgment decisions regarding student aid eligibility. The counselor provides leadership and program oversight over an assigned area of specialty; adjudicates appeals; and provides training to other staff. 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, whether in-person, via phone or through written correspondence.

Requirements

• Skills and Knowledge of financial aid (programs, policies, regulations):In-depth knowledge and understanding of current financial aid needs analysis methodology and federal and state.
• Knowledge of financial aid regulations, practices, and resources.
• Ability to interpret, analyze, and apply financial aid and academic policies and procedures.
• The financial aid counselor requires a thorough understanding of the federal, state, and institutional rules governing the various forms of financial aid. Federal law is reauthorized every 5 to 6 years with regulatory changes and new legislation inserted within those spans. State aid can change annually with each session of the legislature. Institutional costs and processes may change even more often in response to improvements and limitations to technology, approval and revisions of budget priorities, and structural organizations. Every counselor will track these changes and the affects on student awards at the University. The counselor must successfully keep abreast of technical applications of regulatory and institutional changes and use competent and increasingly complex computer system skills to meet their job requirements. Specific assigned programs may be complex and require specialized training or skills.
• Treats all customers (students, faculty and staff colleagues) with dignity and respect, empathy, fairness and professionalism, consistent with the university mission, values and strategic vision.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct presentations to groups of varying sizes.
• Experience representing a department/organization as knowledgeable and authoritative while remaining supportive, calm and professional even under highly charged circumstances.
• Ability to handle information in a confidential and professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information and convey disappointing information. Counselors deal continuously with the dissonance between a family's perceived need and the help available to the student. They must be able to deal effectively with students and families when the office is unable to fulfill expectations. To resolve these situations without assistance, counselors are knowledgeable and authoritative while remaining supportive, calm and professional even under highly charged circumstances. Counselors must also be effective and knowledgeable in communicating to diverse groups and larger audiences regarding the financial aid process and requirements, and willing to contribute whenever possible or needed to outreach activities. Our service structure calls upon counselors to explain, and sometimes defend, professional judgment decisions made by their colleagues. Because of the shared workload and working styles of a large group of individuals, successful counselors must be excellent communicators, good negotiators, team players and excellent colleagues who share the goals and the hard work necessary to achieve them.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks with short deadlines.
• Ability to demonstrate excellent time management and organizational skills. Ability to work effectively in a dynamic team and to multi-task in a fast-paced, diverse environment with students, faculty, and staff. Financial aid counselors work under continuous pressure to meet self-imposed, department-imposed and student-imposed deadlines while maintaining extreme attention to detail and accuracy. Errors may result in significant liability for students as well as the institution. Counselors must successfully balance the pressures to complete assigned tasks, attend professional and developmental workshops, meetings and training opportunities.
• Ensures operational integrity and continuity by maintaining detailed descriptions of responsibilities, ranging from daily tasks to strategic activities and outcomes, and makes them available to supervisor. Ensures quality, usability and integrity of system data by working within approved processes and testing procedures.
• 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 in one of the behavioral sciences, public or business administration, or a job-related field and two years of professional experience in one of the student services program areas required.

Responsibilities

• Counseling and Outreach: Promote an environment of collaboration and service excellence by providing a broad range of student and family-facing financial aid services, including counseling and outreach activities.
• Processing, Evaluation, Program Oversight: Provide leadership; program management; and serve as liaison for a programmatic area of specialization. Facilitate access and student success through a multitude of processing activities; providing decision-making support in complex situations; evaluating special circumstances; and exercising professional judgment.
• Knowledge and Continual Learning: Remain current with constantly evolving financial aid regulations (federal, state, institutional) and emerging trends and best practices in delivering service excellence. Contribute to the overall success of the Financial Aid Office and Enrollment Services through ad-hoc assignments.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off : Up to 24 vacation days per year (based on employee group and/or service), 14 paid holidays, and 12 sick days annually with unlimited accrual.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage : A variety of medical, dental, and vision plans to suit your needs.
• Retirement Plans : Participation in CalPERS defined benefit plan and access to voluntary savings plans like 403(b), 401(k), and 457.
• Educational Benefits : Tuition fee waivers for employees and eligible dependents.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) : Confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.
• Additional Perks : Access to wellness programs, professional development opportunities, and various insurance options including life, disability, and pet insurance.

What This Job Offers

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