Position Summary

Are you passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals? Join our dynamic team as an Entry Level Financial Aid Counselor at San Diego State University! This is an excellent opportunity to begin your career in higher education while making a meaningful impact on students' lives. With comprehensive training and support, you'll gain valuable skills and experience in financial aid counseling and student services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide personalized guidance to students and families on financial aid and scholarship eligibility, satisfactory academic progress, budgeting, and resolving financial challenges.
• Review and analyze system-generated financial aid awards to ensure compliance with federal and state laws, policies, and procedures.
• Assist students by assessing their academic and financial circumstances to provide tailored recommendations and solutions.
• Support various program coordinators with essential responsibilities, including file review, scholarship processing, and satisfactory academic progress evaluations.
• Serve students across SDSU's San Diego, Imperial Valley, and Global Campuses.

Why Join Us?

• Gain in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in financial aid counseling under the guidance of experienced professionals.
• Build a foundation for a rewarding career in higher education and student services.
• Help students overcome financial barriers and achieve their educational dreams.
• Be part of a diverse and vibrant campus that values innovation, collaboration, and student success.

Take the first step toward an impactful and fulfilling career. Apply now to join our team at SDSU!

Position Information

• This is a full-time (1.0 time-base), benefits eligible, permanent/probationary position.
• This position is designated non-exempt under FLSA and is eligible for overtime compensation.
• Standard SDSU work hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but may vary based on operational needs.
• The individual hired into this role will work on campus at SDSU in San Diego.

Department Summary

The Student Financial Resource sub-division within the Division of Student Affairs & Campus Diversity includes the Student Financial Center, Financial Aid Office, and Scholarship Office. This sub-division provides student-centered services in a transparent, regulated, and compliance-driven environment under the leadership of an Associate Vice President.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) supports students attending SDSU at all of the university’s campuses - San Diego, Imperial Valley, and Global Campus.   FAO determines student eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid funds and private/institutional scholarship funds according to applicable statutes, regulations, and requirements, and coordinates the administration of these funds with numerous external sources. The responsibilities are carried out by a highly trained staff using an innovative, state-of-the-art data processing system and an efficient and effective organizational structure.  The Office's broad range of responsibilities includes awarding over $300 million of financial aid and scholarship funds coordinated and administered by the university, counseling students and parents about availability and eligibility criteria for all aid programs, coordinating reporting responsibilities with all funding sources, and managing aid delivery in a timely and accurate manner.

Position upholds the Student Affairs and Campus Diversity Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, specifically:

“The Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity acknowledges and honors the inherent value and dignity of all individuals by creating and nurturing a learning and working environment that affirms and leverages our community’s diversity of traditions, heritages, perspectives, and experiences. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusive excellence designed to facilitate the personal and professional success, growth, development, and well-being of all members of our community. We manifest this commitment through our innovative, strategic and collaborative efforts to develop leaders who believe in and lead others toward practicing civility, mutual respect, and inclusion in our workplaces and society.”

For more information regarding the Student Affairs Financial Aid Department, click here.

Education and Experience

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in one of the behavioral sciences, public or business administration, or a job-related field.  Specialized experience during which the applicant has acquired and successfully applied the knowledge and abilities shown below may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Key Qualifications

• Knowledge of individual and group behavior principles and interview techniques.
• Ability to research, observe, and interpret factual information effectively.
• Skilled in data analysis, logical reasoning, and making sound recommendations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including clear reporting.
• Ability to contribute to group discussions and maintain collaborative relationships.

Compensation and Benefits

Starting salary upon appointment is not expected to exceed $4,150 per month. 

Salary placement is determined by the education, experience, and qualifications the candidate brings to the position, internal equity, and the hiring department’s fiscal resources.

San Diego State University offers a rich benefits package that constitutes a major portion of total compensation. For more information regarding SDSU benefits, please click here.

CSU Classification Salary Range: $4,150 - $5,076 per month. 

Diversity and Community at SDSU

At SDSU, our diversity gives us power and benefits every single member of our community. 

Through our commitment to equity and inclusion, we encourage all members of our community to purposefully learn from one another through open and respectful dialogue and responsible engagement.  For more information, click here.

Principles of Community

At San Diego State University, we are a community of diverse individuals who have and represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities. This diversity lends our community strength, and we commit to creating and sustaining an inclusive and intellectually vibrant environment that benefits all members of our university. 

SDSU’s Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that is intended to evolve over time. The statement reflects the ideals we are encouraged to uphold in our interactions with one another. 

Supplemental Information

Initial review of the required application materials, including cover letters and resumes, will begin on January 27, 2025. To receive full consideration, apply by January 26, 2025. The position will remain open until filled.

The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. 

San Diego State University is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions (e.g., H-1B visa). Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Offers of employment are contingent upon the presentation of documents that demonstrate a person's identity and authorization to work in the United States, which are consistent with the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. SDSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current SDSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

SDSU is a smoke-free campus. For more information, please click here.

SDSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer that considers all qualified candidates for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered military and veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who request an accommodation by contacting Livia Peeples at lpeeples@sdsu.edu.