Find & Apply For Personal Financial Advisor Jobs in Carpinteria, California

Financial Aid Advisor Department:

Office of Financial Aid Reports to:

Associate Director of Financial Aid Status:

Regular, Full-Time, Non-Exempt Location:

Hybrid - required on-site for scheduled events

Pay Range :

$22.00 - $25.00 an hour

Start Date:

January 4, 2027 Position Summary The Financial Aid Advisor supports Pacifica students throughout the entire financial aid lifecycle, from initial packaging through disbursement and exit, with a consistently student-focused, service-oriented approach grounded in financial wellness — not just transactional loan processing. This role handles daily student communication by phone, video, and email; conducts financial aid and loan counseling consultations; and provides individualized, equitable outreach to students who need extra support, including those setting up payment plans or navigating recent changes to federal student loan programs under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). The Advisor works closely with Admissions, the Registrar, and Student Accounts to ensure students have what they need to start, continue, and complete their program, and brings a growth mindset to a regulatory landscape that changes frequently — staying current, looking for opportunities to streamline and improve office processes, and helping students and colleagues alike adapt to change. This role carries direct responsibility for regulatory compliance: every aspect of the role must be performed in accordance with Title IV federal regulations, OB3 provisions, and applicable state requirements and institutional policy. Because this role routinely handles highly sensitive student financial, academic, and personal data, sound judgment, discretion, and strict adherence to data-privacy and confidentiality standards are essential at every stage of the role. Core Responsibilities Student Communication & Counseling

• Respond to student phone calls, emails, and voicemails daily, providing timely, accurate, and student-focused financial aid guidance.
• Conduct scheduled phone and video financial aid consultations, covering federal and private loan options, interest rates, aggregate loan limits, repayment, scholarships, and cost of attendance.
• Extend counseling beyond transactional loan guidance to include broader financial wellness and literacy coaching — helping students understand their overall financial picture, budgeting, and long-term repayment planning, not just their immediate aid package.
• Reach out proactively to students who may need an individualized payment plan, connecting them with Student Accounts and following up to confirm a plan is in place.
• Provide private loan counseling for students who do not qualify for or have exhausted federal aid options, including co-signer and application guidance.
• Ensure outreach and support reach students equitably, with particular attention to first-generation and other students who may be less likely to self-advocate or seek help proactively.
• Represent the Office of Financial Aid at student-facing webinars, orientation events, and admissions round tables. Packaging & Regulatory Compliance
• Package new and continuing students, reviewing incoming ISIRs and completing packaging accurately and within established timelines.
• Monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and support students through the SAP appeal process as needed.
• Support FAFSA verification, resolving discrepancies and requesting additional documentation from students as required.
• Complete Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculations and related federal compliance tasks as needed.
• Stay current on OB3 and other changes to federal student aid and loan programs, and communicate what these changes mean for students clearly and accurately — treating regulatory change as an ongoing learning responsibility rather than a one-time update.
• Complete required compliance training and certifications on an ongoing basis to maintain current, accurate knowledge of Title IV and OB3 regulatory requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of Title IV requirements and apply them consistently and equitably across all students. Data Integrity, Privacy & Reporting
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date notes on all student communication and actions taken in the financial aid system, entered promptly after each interaction.
• Handle student financial, academic, and personal data in strict compliance with FERPA and other applicable privacy and data-security requirements; escalate any suspected data-handling concerns promptly.
• Support financial aid staff in running and maintaining weekly, monthly, and annual reports, including anticipated aid, scholarship, and graduation reports, and deliver them by agreed-upon deadlines.
• Contribute to analyzing aid, packaging, and disbursement data to identify trends and patterns — such as bottlenecks, timing issues, or aid-related attrition risk — and share insight with leadership to inform institutional planning. Continuous Improvement & Professional Practice
• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate packaging, verification, and student-communication workflows; recommend and help implement process improvements that reduce manual touchpoints.
• Help students and colleagues adapt to regulatory change such as OB3 by translating new requirements into practical guidance, updated talking points, and revised procedures.
• Maintain professional currency through engagement with NASFAA and other financial aid associations; benchmark office practices against peer institutions. Cross-Functional Coordination
• Coordinate with the Registrar's Office on enrollment status changes, academic tutorials, and Ed Council decisions affecting a student's aid eligibility.
• Partner with Admissions and Student Accounts to ensure a seamless, student-focused experience across the enrollment and aid lifecycle.
• Identify and escalate significant packaging delays, compliance concerns, or time-sensitive student financial aid issues promptly.

Qualifications Education & Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Prior experience in financial aid administration, ideally within a graduate or professional higher education setting.

Preferred:

• Master's degree.
• Experience with JFA (Jenzabar Financial Aid), or a comparable financial aid management system.
• Active involvement with NASFAA or other professional financial aid associations. Skills & Competencies
• Genuinely student-focused, with a demonstrated ability to build trust and communicate complex financial information with clarity and care.
• Growth mindset: comfortable operating in a regulatory environment that changes frequently, proactively building new knowledge, and looking for ways to improve how the office serves students.
• Comfortable and effective in direct, one-on-one financial aid and loan counseling with students.
• Working knowledge of federal financial aid regulations, including Title IV requirements, and demonstrated ability to stay current as regulations change, including OB3.
• Demonstrated commitment to regulatory compliance, with sound judgment about when to escalate ambiguous, high-risk, or unfamiliar situations rather than proceed without guidance.
• Comfortable discussing private loan options and guiding students through the application and co-signer process.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage a high volume of student communication and packaging deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and a strong sense of accountability when handling highly sensitive student financial, academic, and personal data. Technical Skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with financial aid management systems such as JFA, NSLDS, and COD.
• Experience with Jenzabar and Slate, or comparable student information and CRM systems, is a plus. Work Schedule & Location
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate scheduled phone and video consultations, including occasional evenings, extended hours, or weekends during peak packaging periods.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Performance Expectations
• Deliver consistently student-focused service, with timely and proactive follow-up on packaging, disbursement, and payment-plan needs.
• Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of highly sensitive student data at all times, in compliance with FERPA and institutional data-privacy standards.
• Demonstrate current, accurate knowledge of federal and private loan requirements, including OB3 changes, and apply a growth mindset to ongoing regulatory and process change.
• Perform all packaging, counseling, and additional financial aid duties in full compliance with Title IV, OB3, and applicable state and institutional requirements at all times.
• Escalate significant packaging delays, compliance concerns, or time-sensitive issues promptly and proactively.

The duties and responsibilities outlined above are intended to provide a general overview of the role and are not exhaustive. Responsibilities may change based on institutional needs. Pacifica Graduate Institute is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace for all employees.