Director of Financial Aid

The Director provides leadership to the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), overseeing all aspects of financial aid operations, policies, processes, service delivery, and Federal, state, and local compliance for campus based and online populations. Reporting to the Vice President of Enrollment Management, she/he oversees a staff of professional staff members and several student staff members.

• Provide leadership in the evaluation, development, and revision of policies and procedures relating to the administration of all institutional, state, and federal financial aid.
• Evaluate, implement, and monitor the Online Division's Borrow Based Academic Year (BBAY) aid strategy and provide term-by-term analysis following all state and federal requirements.
• Research, review, and implement financial aid system tools to enhance student experiences including receiving and reviewing financial aid packages e.g. SLATE CRM, PowerFAIDS, and NetPartner portal. Serve as PowerFAIDS Administrator and point of contact.
• Formulate and execute short term and long-term strategic objectives for the Office of Financial Aid in support of the university's strategic objectives.
• Work with Enrollment Management, the Admissions Departments, and consultant partners (such as EAB) to optimize the strategic allocation of financial aid to support enrollment growth.
• Manage the endowed/restricted scholarships with the Office of Advancement and supervise financial aid appeals.
• Administer all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs according to federal, state, and institutional statutes, regulations, and/or policies.
• Lead efforts to implement systems and streamline processes between Student Accounts, Registrar and OFA to enhance and increase efficiency of office functions, improve customer service, and provide compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Work closely with the Office of Financial Services to achieve fiscal objectives vis-a-vis the institutional discount rate, cash flow, work study allocations and endowment expenditures.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to student financial aid. Oversee audit preparation and act as point person for auditors.
• Annually work with the VPEM prepare and manage the departmental budget and staffing needs.
• Oversee the preparation and presentation of statistics and research for use in financial aid packaging and strategic planning.
• Provide outreach to external constituencies through speaking engagements at high schools and other appropriate venues.
• Remain knowledgeable of the legislative issues surrounding student financial aid, providing relevant information to senior administration as well as students and their families.
• Ensure general university knowledge of and compliance with statutes and regulations tangential to financial aid which effect eligibility for federal Title IV funding.
• Recruit and direct the training of Office of Financial Aid staff.
• Responsible for annual FISAP and NCAA submissions, as well as updating the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with gainful employment regulations and requirements.
• Work with Institutional Research to complete all required surveys and accreditation reporting regarding university financial aid information and student outcome data - such as IPEDS, US News and World Report, and The College Board, etc.
  SUPERVISION:
• Provide general supervision, training and oversight management for a financial aid staff and work-study students; perform annual goal setting and performance evaluation sessions with each departmental employee; carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the University's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include hiring staff members; planning, assigning, and directing work of departmental employees; appraising their performance and improving work or behavior below expectations; and addressing complaints and resolving problems related to these supervisees.

Typical Qualifications

COMPETENCIES

• Knowledge of federal Title IV statute and regulations as well as state(s) financial aid regulations; knowledge of industry best practices.
• Ability to interact with students and parents calmly and graciously under difficult interpersonal situations and be capable of explaining University policies to students and parents.
• Knowledge of enrollment practices and trends as they relate to the use of student financial aid, and financial aid leveraging theory and practices.
• Delivering high quality customer service to students, parents, outside partners, faculty, and staff.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree; master's degree in a related field preferred
• Ten (10) years of financial aid experience, including supervision and management of full-time staff in a technologically advanced environment.
• Planning, analytical, and budgeting skills;
• Dedication to student service and success;
• Demonstrated ability to work well with students, faculty, staff institution wide;
• Willingness and ability to perform some evening and weekend work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with student enterprise information systems.
• Knowledge of financial aid management systems, e.g., PowerFAIDS, Oracle, Anthology.
• Familiarity with universities offering both undergraduate and graduate level programs.