Financial Aid Analyst

Posting Details

Position Information

Position Title Financial Aid Analyst

Department Financial Aid, Veterans and Scholarship Services

Primary Location San Marcos Campus

Location Details

• Palomar College believes a healthy work-life balance can improve the physical, emotional, and mental health of our employees. In support of this belief, the District offers the opportunity to work remotely for certain positions, depending on the operational needs of the District and the provisions of the Remote Work Policy. Probationary employees are not eligible to work remotely unless approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Human Resource Services. No employee is guaranteed the right to work remotely. No employee shall be authorized to work remotely 100% of the time unless approved by the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President, Human Resource Services.
• Palomar has multiple campus locations (San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook); training may occur at any of these locations and the work location is subject to change depending on future department needs.
• Potential future vacancies may include other District departments, locations, and/or work schedules (i.e. days, evenings or nights).

Full or Part Time Full-Time

Category Classified

Hours per week 40

Number of Months 12 month

Work Schedule

• Monday & Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday & Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Occasional night and weekend hours may be required due to department needs.

Grade 26

Salary/Wage

• $5,733.10 [step 1] – $6,963.41 [step 5]. Step placement may be negotiable within this range dependent upon education and experience.
• A 3% differential pay will be paid for hours worked between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• If you are a current employee who applies via the external recruitment process and is selected for a promotion, step placement on the new grade will be in accordance with the applicable District agreement/handbook.

Salary/Wage Frequency Monthly

Benefits

In addition​ to a competitive compensation structure, Palomar College​ also offers an extremely generous benefits package.

• Insurance fully paid for employees and their eligible dependents: four medical plans, dental HMO, and the vision plan (additional plans are available that require employee buy up/monthly contribution)
• Vacation, sick leave and 25 paid holidays
• $80,000 employee term life​/accident insurance policy (additional buy up options available)
• Employee long-term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – Confidential free counseling, financial, legal, personal and professional development resources for all members of your household
• Additional buy up options available for other voluntary insurance benefits
• Enrollment in CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System)

The estimated maximum value of this employer-paid benefits​ package is approximately $31,245.84 annually.

Primary Function Analyzes and evaluates student applications and supporting documentation and determines eligibility for a variety of financial aid programs including grants, loans and scholarships in accordance with District policies and procedures and federal, state and local laws, regulations and other requirements; provides informa­tion to students, parents, faculty, staff and the public on available financial assistance opportunities; under general supervision, responsible for researching the scope and requirements of a variety of financial aid programs, scholarships and grants; maintains detailed financial and statistical records; coordin­ates one or more assigned programs such as the Palomar College Scholarship Program, Cal Grant program, the Dream Act/Assembly Bill (AB) 540 program, the Federal Work Study program and others.

Minimum Qualifications To be eligible for this position, you must meet and provide evidence of the following minimum qualifications:

• Experience: Five years of experience involving student financial aid processes.

• Note: For work experience, a “year” is defined as equivalent to 40 hours per week for 12 months.

AND

• Education: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

Transcripts must be included to receive credit for education and/or to substitute education in lieu of experience (i.e. Bachelor’s degree = 4 years of experience). Click here for Guidelines for Equivalency for Classified Positions.

Only coursework completed at, and degrees awarded by, accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be considered as satisfying the minimum qualifications. Coursework and degrees that are completed outside of the United States are required to have transcripts evaluated (evaluation to U.S. equivalency and a course by course analysis) by an appropriate U.S. credentials evaluation service. For a list of credentials evaluation agencies accepted by Palomar College, visit the National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES) website at https://naces.org/, or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) website at http://aice-eval.org/.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Antiracism (DEIAA) Statement Palomar College serves over 30,000 students from a variety of backgrounds and we are proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our student body is rich in its diversity. Click here to see a quick overview of our student demographics on our recent Student Fact Sheet. Palomar College is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and antiracism (DEIAA). We are dedicated to empowering students to succeed and are guided by our core values; some of which are the following:

• Access – We make education possible for everyone.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – We recognize and respect diversity, seek to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, and strive to address inequities.

All positions require cultural competency which includes the sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• College-level coursework from an accredited college or university in business administration, finance, accounting or a related field.
• Experience utilizing PeopleSoft
• Experience working in a California public college

Licenses and/or Certificates N/A

Supervision Received and Exercised

Supervision Received From: Director, Financial Aid, Veterans, and Scholarship Services

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions: Essential responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reviews financial aid applications and supporting documents submitted by students; follows up to resolve discrep­ancies and obtain missing information; determines student eligibility under all criteria for federal, state and institutional financial assistance awards for assigned financial aid and institutional aid programs, which may include Pell Grants, Supplemental Educa­tion Grants, Federal Work Study and Student Loans and scholarships; analyzes individual student files and determines eligibility, making case-by-case professional judgment decisions to adjust analyses based on extenuating circumstances, dependency overrides and financial aid appeals; packages financial aid, scholarships, grants and other allocations; authorizes the disbursement of funds after re-verifying student eligibility and enrollment through various reports; monitors to ensure enrollment criteria are met on an ongoing basis and adjusts financial aid awards when warranted.
• Verifies the accuracy and completeness of student financial aid application data from records selected by the federal or state processor, the District or other Financial Aid Analysts; reviews federal tax returns to identify errors or omissions in income or asset information reported on applications; verifies the accuracy of family size and number in college reported on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms; submits corrected information to the federal processor to recalculate the student’s Student Aid Index; maintains records and communicates with students.
• Determines students’ Satisfactory Academic Progress to qualify for federal aid, state and institutional aid; reviews cumulative grade point averages, pace of progression, unit limits, transferable units from other colleges and Maximum Time Frame worksheets to determine if students can complete their program majors within the maximum allowable number of units; reviews appeals to determine if there are extenuating circumstances or other documentation to override a disqualification for not meeting academic progress requirements.
• For students who have withdrawn from enrollment, performs calculations to determine the amount of federal or state aid funds that must be returned to Title IV or State programs; performs Over Award calculations applicable to students whose enrollment status has changed, reducing their eligibility for financial aid; notifies students of overpayment amounts owed.
• Coordinates a variety of assigned financial aid programs as directed, including but not limited to Cal Grants, California Dream Act, Chafee Grant, Federal Direct Student Loan, Federal Work Study, Return of Title IV Aid (R2T4), CVC Exchange, California College Promise Grant and Scholarships; researches and determines student eligibility based on established program criteria; performs technical, analytical, computer data entry, reporting and reconciliation activities required for administration on one or more of the financial aid programs.
• Serves as the Financial Aid, Veterans, and Scholarship Services department liaison to students, staff, other District departments and outside organiza­tions on matters related to assigned program responsibilities.
• May serve as an advisorat the front counter; reviews financial aid applications for completeness and consistency of information and records comments; records intake of documents; provides information on requirements and procedures for financial aid, veterans’ educational benefits and scholarships; explains District policies and proce­dures; responds to specialized inquiries and complaints.
• Conducts workshops and outreach events regarding financial aid and application procedures.

Marginal Functions:

• Attends training and workshops to stay current on financial aid program rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Creates specialized spreadsheets, forms and other recordkeeping materials as needed.
• Participates in Financial Aid, Veterans, and Scholarship Services outreach events as assigned.
• Updates the District website regarding scholarship availabilities and application deadlines, Federal Work Study job listings and other financial aid information.
• Provides backup at the front counter or in the back office for other Admissions/Financial Aid Specialists I/II.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Goals and objectives of a college financial aid office.
• Sections of the California Education Code applicable to assigned responsibilities.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Title IV and other state and federal laws, rules, regulations and policies governing financial aid and applicable eligibility criteria.
• Operations of a computer and uses of standard business applications including word processing, spreadsheet and database software and other specialized software applications such as enterprise software that are relevant to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Basic fund accounting, and financial and statistical recordkeeping techniques.
• Office administration practices and procedures, including filing and recordkeeping systems; advanced knowledge of computers and applicable software programs and specialized financial aid databases and systems.
• Research methods and procedures applicable to the work.
• Business mathematics.
• Principles and practices of sound business communication; correct English usage, grammar, spelling and punctua­tion.
• Concepts, practices and techniques of customer service.

Skill in:

• Interpreting, explaining and applying federal and state and laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures and practices governing financial aid and scholarship programs.
• Making determinations and applying professional judgment regarding eligibility for financial assistance based on established procedures and complex guidelines, ensuring consistency and a high degree of accuracy.
• Organizing, setting priorities and exercising sound independent judgment in areas of responsibility.
• Operating a computer and other standard office equipment and using spreadsheet, word processing, enterprise software and federal and state databases and systems.
• Researching, calculating, tracking and reporting financial and statistical information utilizing complex spreadsheets and databases.
• Maintaining sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, age, cultural, physical or mental disability, medical condition, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, race and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff.
• Preparing clear, concise and accurate records, data entries, reports and other written materials.
• Communicating clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of student records and information.
• Using tact, discretion, courtesy and patience in dealing with sensitive and difficult students and situations.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others encountered in the course of work.

Working Conditions

Environmental Conditions: The employee works under typical office conditions with extensive exposure to computer screens and frequent contact with students, family members, staff of other departments and the public, some of whom may be upset or angry.

Physical Conditions: Essential and marginal functions may require physical fitness requirements necessary to perform the job functions with or without accommodation, such as the ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods; near visual acuity for reading computer screens, reports and schedules; repetitive use of hands for extensive use of keyboards.

Terms of Employment

• The person selected for hire will be required to complete the following pre-employment requirements: live scan/fingerprinting, official transcript(s), and TB risk assessment. Other pre-employment requirements may be required depending on the position (i.e. certifications or licenses; see applicable job posting section for details). Successful completion of all pre-employment requirements is mandatory to be eligible for employment. These requirements are in accordance with the following Administrative Procedures and Board Policies: AP 7120, AP 7125, AP 7126, AP 7127, AP 7330, BP 7330, AP 7336, AP 7337, and BP 7335.
• Full-time, 40 hours per week, 12 months per year.
• In accordance with Education Code 88013. (a), this position also carries a probationary period of six months from the date of hire into this position.

Posting Detail Information

Open Date 11/02/2026

Close Date 11/16/2026

Open Until Filled No

Posting Number P1098P

Additional Application Information The hiring committee will determine if interviews will be conducted in person at the College or via Zoom. Travel expenses are not reimbursed by the College. If a second-level interview is required, second-level travel reimbursement is only available for eligible candidates. HR will notify those who are eligible when second-level interviews are scheduled.