Financial aid plays a significant role for many students when deciding to pursue a postsecondary education. The California State University (CSU) prides itself on making education available and affordable, and about 80% of attending students are receiving financial aid (California State University, n.d.-e). With so many students relying on aid, financial aid offices play a pivotal role in student success and retention. Unfortunately, financial aid offices everywhere are facing turnover in talented staff and are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill vacancies (Bauer-Wolf, 2022). Attrition in financial aid offices can have significant impacts to staff morale, student service, and the overall institution. There is very minimal research exploring the experiences of financial aid professionals, especially regarding their job satisfaction and efforts towards retention. In this study, Herzberg's two-factor motivational theory provided a framework for exploring the experiences of financial aid professionals in the CSU to better understand what is causing them to consider leaving the field of financial aid. Qualitative research methods were used to explore what is driving attrition in the financial aid offices across the CSU. This study was explored through narrative inquiry to provide the color and depth of the image of attrition and to share details and descriptions otherwise lost. Through storying the experiences of these professionals and their decisions to stay or go, leaders gain an understanding into what motivates these decisions. This may prove helpful in retaining talented financial aid professionals. Seven financial aid professionals participated in this study, providing detailed accounts of their experiences, from onboarding, staff turnover, and other experiences that have compounded and caused them to consider leaving. Findings indicated that financial aid professionals are passionate about student success, but they are also feeling overworked and unappreciated. There is also an indication that there is a need for improved leadership. The burnout that they experience, along with leadership interactions, play a significant role in their decision to stay in the field or go. Despite the challenges they face in their roles, they still feel passionate about serving students and understand how important financial aid can be when deciding to go to college. Participants put their own fears aside to provide this insight in hopes that their voices will be heard. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are also discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]