Scholarship Coordinator/Lead Financial Aid Advisor

CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Student Services Professional IV

UNION CODE: R04

FT/PT: Full-time

PAY PLAN: 12-month

WORKPLACE TYPE: On-site (work in-person at business location)

ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE: Starting salary upon appointment is not expected to exceed $6,320 per month.

CSU CLASSIFICATION SALARY RANGE: $6,320 - $9,014

PAY BASIS: Monthly

BENEFITS: CSUB offers a best-in-class benefit package for eligible employees that includes an array of medical plans, choice of dental plans, vision coverage, retirement participation in CalPERS, CSU tuition waiver, up to 24 vacation days per year, sick leave with unlimited accrual, 15 paid holidays per year and more!  See our benefits website for additional information.

CANDIDATES ELIGIBLE TO APPLY: Open to all qualified applicants.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT: FOR PRIORITY CONSIDERATION, applications must be received by September 3, 2026; however, the position will remain open until filled.

POSITION PURPOSE: Within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at California State University, Bakersfield is committed to maximizing financial aid opportunities to support student access, retention, and success.

Under the general direction of the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships, the Scholarship Coordinator/Lead Financial Aid Advisor provides leadership and compliance oversight for all institutional and external scholarship programs, totaling approximately $1.2 million and benefiting more than 550 students across 200 funding sources annually. The incumbent establishes operational frameworks for scholarship administration, the Scholarship Universe platform, ensures proper endowment alignment and reporting, and collaborates with University Advancement to maintain donor compliance and stewardship standards.

This position also serves as the primary financial aid counselor for Special Populations programs including EOP, TRIO, Guardian Scholars, Basic Needs, Project Rebound, and Emergency Grants, serves as a lead advisor for complex student financial-aid cases, and provides operational and policy support for compliance initiatives. The incumbent develops, recommends, and implements internal policies and procedures, audits and reconciliations, and staff training to ensure that all scholarship and financial-aid activities meet federal Title IV, CSU, and institutional requirements.

By exercising a high degree of professional judgment and independence, this role is instrumental in safeguarding program integrity, mitigating institutional risk, and ensuring ethical and compliant administration of all scholarship and financial-aid resources.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Institutional & External Scholarship Administration

• Lead the coordination, management, and reconciliation of all institutional academic scholarships, including endowed, annual, and external “pass-through” awards; CSU systemwide scholarships; the President’s Matching Scholarship Fund Program (PMSFP); and the CSU Future Scholars Program (CFSP), each with distinct eligibility, selection, and reporting requirements.
• Serve as the campus authority for scholarship administration, ensuring that all awards are processed in accordance with donor agreements, endowment spending policies, and university audit standards. Establish operational and compliance frameworks that guide departments in interpreting donor intent, fund utilization, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee and maintain the Scholarship Universe database, ensuring data integrity across scholarship criteria, applicant pools, donor records, and funding sources.
• Collaborate with University Advancement leadership to review endowment spending reports, establish fund availability, and confirm compliance with donor intent and institutional policies.
• Prepare annual scholarship memoranda and coordinate publication of award opportunities to ensure transparent and equitable student access.
• Guide departmental scholarship committees through eligibility review, selection, and awarding processes, ensuring adherence to established criteria and documentation standards.
• Conduct regular reconciliation and quality-control audits between Scholarship Universe, PeopleSoft, and Student Financial Services to ensure that all scholarship funds are accurately awarded and disbursed.
• Develop, implement, and update written procedures for scholarship setup, processing, and donor reporting to maintain compliance with federal and CSU g