Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships

Office of the President/Financial Aid & Scholarships

Administrator II

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Financial Aid & Scholarship Leadership:

• Leads the Financial Aid & Scholarship (FAS) office, including creation of priorities, efficiency and effectiveness of staff and office procedures; consistent messaging; customer service; and processing.

• Extensively collaborates with FAS staff leadership on best practices, policies and business process development, optimization, maintenance, and communication.

• As a member of the leadership team, responsible for conducting the following activities on behalf of the Financial Aid function:
- Planning and Project Management: conducts short- and long-term planning exercises in support of enrollment goals and manages projects under the purview of this function.
- Policy and Procedure Development/Documentation: develops and maintains policies and procedures consistent with industry best practices.
- Quality Assurance and Effectiveness: develops and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs); produces activity and outcome reports; and course corrects efforts as needed.
- Subject Matter Expertise: serves as the subject matter expert in the Financial Aid & Scholarships domain for EM and the University community.

Financial Aid Administration:

• Manages the administration and delivery of federal, state, and institutional aid awarded to prospective and current students.

Departmental Budget:

• Responsible for departmental budget and resource allocation.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensures compliance with federal and state government aid programs (Title IV, CSAC, etc.) with the creation and maintenance of policies that support compliance, developing use of technology and data to create quality control and audit practices; and meeting all regulatory reporting requirements.

• Ensures compliance with institutional aid policies including the administration of endowed funds.

• Participates in continuous professional development and remains current on all laws, regulations, and requirements.

• Assumes the role as lead communicator and project manager for all financial aid reporting and responses for audits, such as A-133, CSAC, and Federal Student Aid.

Admissions & Recruitment:

• Collaborates extensively with Enrollment Management (EM) leadership, vendors, and other key stakeholders on the development and implementation of institutional aid strategies.

• Collaborates with Admissions & Recruitment and EM Marketing in the development and execution of the Financial Aid & Scholarships communication plan, including all technologies utilized, presentations, and recruitment event participation.

Institutional Aid Strategy:

• Works with EM and University leadership to develop institutional aid strategies that will support student enrollment and retention goals and oversees the successful implementation of the institutional aid strategy.

Committee Participation:

• Serves as lead representative for the Financial Aid & Scholarship office on University Committees.

Endowed and Annual Scholarships:

• Liaisons with University Advancement and academic departments for purposes of awarding and maintenance of endowed and annual funds.

Financial Aid Counseling:

• Ensures effective financial aid advisement of all students, as well as their families, on application procedures, awarding information, and deadlines.

• Presents at various campus events and to a wide array of audiences.

Financial Aid Communications:

• Ensures that financial aid related information is communicated clearly and accurately across all mediums (web, print, email, student portals, etc.)

Customer Service:

• Ensures timely, accurate, and clear customer service to prospective and current students and parents as they navigate the aid process from pre-application through graduation.

Financial Aid Operations:

• Guides the timely and accurate packaging and disbursement of student aid and ensures the effective flow of information and documentation throughout the process.

Financial Aid Technology:

• Ensures that all technology platforms are properly configured and deployed in support of compliance, strategy implementation, customer service, and operations.

Key…