Financial Aid Advisor

Pepperdine University; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Pepperdine University is seeking a Financial Aid Advisor to promote a student-centered environment by guiding students through the financial aid process with care and professionalism. The role supports federal and institutional aid processing, prepares reports, coordinates with campus offices, and helps ensure smooth enrollment and accurate aid packaging.

Strong communication and organization are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum 2 years of experience administering financial aid.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and customer service abilities.

Responsibilities

• Responds to student inquiries and guides them through the financial aid process.
• Updates information sessions and orientations for prospective and current students.
• Generates financial aid reports and assists with system setup and updates.
• Acts as a liaison with faculty, staff, and outside agencies to resolve aid and enrollment issues.
• Provides general administrative support to the Student Financials team.
• Performs other duties as assigned and upholds the University mission.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Problem solving

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

PeopleSoft

ELM

Job description

As a Christian University, Pepperdine is committed to serving students with a holistic approach to address their individual needs in a supportive, student-centered environment. The Financial Aid Advisor’s primary responsibility is to promote a student-centered environment by engaging and supporting students with all aspects of the financial aid process with care, compassion, and professionalism. This position also provides assistance with federal and institutional aid processing as well as administers key functions to ensure seamless student financial aid services, contributes to effective enrollment management and assures customers' satisfaction.

Duties

• Responds to student inquiries and guides them through the financial aid process for the entire student lifecycle. Provides excellent customer service and anticipates the needs of students and work proactively to problem solve and communicate with students, faculty, staff, and outside agencies, as appropriate, to serve students' best interests and resolve issues. Assists with the application follow up, communication processes, and federal and institutional aid packaging.
• Updates information session and new student orientation presentations and participates in the sessions as needed for prospective and current students at all of the GSEP graduate campuses.
• Generates financial aid reports, and manages the financial aid calendar. Assists the Associate Director with system setup, testing, and annual updates, and works to resolve system issues.
• Serves as a liaison with GSEP faculty, staff, University offices, and outside agencies on behalf of students to resolve issues, including financial aid, student accounts, and enrollment eligibility issues.
• Provides general administrative support to the Student Financials team. Participates in professional development and financial aid training workshops, teams, committees, and other group activities, including participation in graduation ceremonies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Upholds University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree.
• A minimum of 2 years of current experience with administering financial aid programs.
• Strong ability to plan, prioritize, and organize short and long-term tasks.
• Excellent communication/customer service /interpersonal skills, outgoing, service and detail oriented.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to administer individual and group counseling sessions.
• Experience working with an adult professional population.
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, familiarity with imaging processes, web-based systems and applications.
• Familiarity with ELM, NSLDS, COD. Have a valid California driver license to travel domestically.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Education, Computer Science, Social Science or related field.
• More than two years of position-related experience.
• Advanced knowledge of PeopleSoft Student System.
• Proficiency in ELM, NSLDS, COD, and Etrieve.

This is a Restricted, Nonexempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $24.23 - $26.92 per hour

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.