
Program Advisor - TRIO Upward Bound Programs
Penn State University Talent Acquisition
University Park, PATemporary / Full-time$45–65K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago
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Job overview
Penn State’s TRIO Upward Bound Programs seeks a Program Advisor to organize and implement educational, social, and service-learning activities for high school students in the Mount Union and Steelton-Highspire School Districts. The role supports students’ academic progress, high school graduation, and transition to postsecondary education, while coordinating with school districts, families, community partners, and university offices. The one-year term appointment may be renewed based on university need, performance, and funding.
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Full job description
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 1. CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. 2. CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday. 3. If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.For additional information on remote work at Penn State, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants. This position is funded for 1 year(s); continuation past 1 year(s) will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding. POSITION SPECIFICS TRIO Upward Bound Programs is seeking a Program Advisor for program operations in the Mount Union and Steelton-Highspire School Districts.At Penn State, the Upward Bound Program(UB) is located within The Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity. Upward Bound is a federally-funded program that helps high-school students gain academic skills and motivation to continue their education beyond high school. The project provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Upward Bound Program (ed.gov) The Upward Bound Program Advisor assists in organizing, developing, and implementing social, educational, and service-learning programs/activities for Upward Bound Programs' participants. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working effectively with high school students in a team environment, will serve as the Penn State on-site program liaison/contact with school district personnel, and will be responsible for: 1. Student recruitment and programming for grant-determined school district population, parent/student events, and community stakeholders 2. Advising, tutoring, or referring program participants on various student services including high school course selection, college readiness, financial aid, health and wellness, career services, academic advising, student leadership, and diversity and inclusion 3. Development and implementation of academic year and summer residential programming in compliance with federal guidelines as outlined in the grant develop and maintain effective working relationships with school districts, community partners, and campus and University-wide offices 4. Understanding and articulating unit policies and federal grant guidelines in oral and written communication This individual will be responsible for providing services to students with a focus on meeting the following core objectives of the project: 1. Assisting non-senior students to complete rigorous coursework and pass to the next grade level each year 2. Assisting senior students to graduate from high school on time 3. Assisting senior students to matriculate to postsecondary education for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation 4. Assisting with tracking the postsecondary progress of students served for six years after high school graduation The ideal candidate will have experience in the following knowledge areas: 1. Collaborating with school district personnel to assist participants with scheduling high school courses and providing academic counseling and support services necessary to ensure completion of rigorous curriculum 2. Reviewing and monitoring participants' academic progress to guide implementation of grade-level appropriate activities, focused on postsecondary goals integrated with a salient career focus 3. Assisting participants with applying to postsecondary education and navigating the enrollment process 4. Providing information about financial aid and assisting participants with applying for aid and interpreting financial aid packages 5. Coordinating and chaperoning postsecondary campus tours and career focused field trips 6. Developing and maintaining a network of professional relationships with postsecondary institutions and community agencies 7. Demonstrated experience in providing direct college preparation services to 9th through 12th grade students and in working with low-income, first-generation high school students from diverse backgrounds are essential 8. Knowledge of and experience with federally funded TRIO programs is preferred Competencies critical to success include: 1. Outstanding interpersonal verbal and written communications 2. Effective analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills 3. Accuracy and attention to detail 4. The ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines This is a term appointment funded for one year from the start date with an excellent opportunity for renewal. MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS Bachelor's Degree1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:None BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES This position requires the following clearances in addition to applicable background checks: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check. This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver's license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks.Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. SALARY & BENEFITS The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $44,628.00 - $64,668.00. Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and ... For full info follow application link. Penn State
How this job compares
Set against the 538 open Student Services jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$45–65K/yr
- US median$56–65K/yr226 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $55K, is 10% below the US median midpoint ($61K) — in the middle half of Student Services salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 30 open Student Services jobs in Pennsylvania and 538 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Pennsylvania
- Penn State University Talent Acquisition (this employer)6 open
- University of Pennsylvania6 open
- Carnegie Mellon University4 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Student Services postings that state a minimum ask for (median 2 years, across 322 postings).
- Education
- 173 of the 538 open Student Services jobs (32%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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