Student Financial Services Advisor

About the role

The Student Financial Services Advisor provides comprehensive financial guidance and support to USC students and families. This position combines direct customer interaction with detailed financial and administrative work in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment. Advisors are cross-trained to support key areas across Student Financial Services, including Student Financial Services, Student Account Services, and University Collections. This cross-functional approach provides Advisors with broad exposure to student billing, payments, account services, and collections while enabling the team to respond to evolving operational and student service needs. Success in this role requires the ability to learn quickly, exercise sound judgment, navigate complex situations, and approach sensitive financial conversations with empathy, patience, resourcefulness, and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance to students, families, and campus stakeholders regarding student financial obligations, payment procedures, available options, and issues that may affect a student's ability to continue enrollment.
• Review and interpret student accounts and financial documentation to accurately explain charges, credits, payments, balances, and other account activity.
• Counsel students and families regarding payment options, payment plans, past-due balances, student loans, employer tuition deferments, and other available financial arrangements.
• Process student account activity, including billing adjustments, deferments, invoices, refunds, payment-plan activity, account corrections, and other financial transactions.
• Reconcile discrepancies and ensure documentation is accurate and complete.
• Investigate account issues and exercise sound judgment when resolving individual circumstances, including waiving late fees and charges when justified within established guidelines and escalating matters as appropriate.
• Monitor and maintain student accounts, including updating account information, processing or adjusting payments, revising payment arrangements, lifting applicable holds, and maintaining required documentation and communications.
• Provide exceptional customer service through phone, email, and in-person interactions, including sensitive or challenging conversations.
• Communicate complex financial information clearly while demonstrating patience, empathy, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Perform detailed back-office work, including data entry, account maintenance, spreadsheet and report review, refund processing, and other administrative activities requiring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Work collaboratively and cross-functionally across Student Financial Services areas and with university partners whose processes affect student accounts, including Financial Aid and the Registrar.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, procedures, and the customer experience.
• Remain adaptable, resourceful, and willing to learn as systems, regulations, and business needs evolve.
• Stay current with applicable policies, procedures, regulations, and emerging issues affecting student financial services and student data.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.
• The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education