The purpose of this position is to serve, educate and assist Pepperdine University, Seaver College students with achieving their educational goals by providing appropriate financial resources within institutional, federal, and state guidelines. This includes but is not limited to, loans, grants, scholarships and work study funds to those that qualify. The Financial Aid Advisors navigate multiple complex systems, which requires critical thinking, provides personal and financial counseling, makes professional judgment decisions for families in unique situations, analyzes and interprets institutional, federal and state laws/regulations to maintain program compliance and distribute funds properly.

Duties

• Counsel families in person, virtually, or via email or telephone regarding the financial aid application process, need analysis, appeal processing, etc.
• Manage weekly processing of financial aid application materials and corrections, when needed. Perform need analysis, document tracking and evaluation; verify accuracy of documents provided and consistency of financial aid data, federal tax returns/IRS tax transcripts, financial aid verification documents and student information; perform analysis to identify discrepancies in data and determine appropriate action for resolution.
• Determines changes in student eligibility upon receipt of additional information, including subsequent ISIRs, changes made through verification and/or professional judgment cases.
• Responsible for reviewing and processing weekly and monthly reports, including but not limited to Verification, Overaward, No Fed Aid, Institutional Aid Over Tuition, etc.
• Expected to make difficult and critical decisions; assist w/ processing of financial aid special circumstance appeals, professional judgment and dependency overrides, etc.
• Counsels and advises students concerning Satisfactory Academic Progress policies and appeal procedures, monitors the probation/suspension statuses and the 150% time frame for students.
• Responsible for completing/calculating federal Return to Title IV (R2T4) refunds on students who have withdrawn.
• Collaborate with other campus offices (i.e., Admissions, Students Accounts, Registrar, One Stop) on student specific needs or to exchange data to improve current information systems.
• Review/provide suggestions/corrections for the website/catalog updates, as needed.
• Assist with updating and writing policy and procedure and processing manuals; provide feedback and suggestions for improvement on office processes/procedures.
• Responsible for maintaining current knowledge in all aspects of financial aid including, changes to federal and state regulations, participating in annual trainings and conferences to keep abreast of new information and program changes.
• Participate in various financial aid outreach programs for prospective students, including in person and virtual events.
• Serve on various FA committees, Professional Judgement, Appeals, etc.
• Prioritize and perform multiple projects/tasks, meet deadlines/timelines, respond to others in a timely manner, and work both independently and collaboratively with a high standard of integrity and ethics, in support of the department's annual goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold 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; 1 year or more financial aid experience; 2 years or more student services/customer service/office experience. Strong communication and public relations skills; ability to clearly articulate verbally and in writing; strong organizational skills; ability to multi-task/prioritize workload; highly detail-oriented; excellent grammar/writing skills; ability to function effectively/independently; complex problem solving and ability to work as a team player Microsoft applications, (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Google Suite)

Preferred: Familiarity with PeopleSoft and Etrieve (document imaging software)

Qualified individuals should be able to articulate a strong commitment to diversity, 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. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Regular, 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.