Associate Director of Financial Aid

Job Summary

The Associate Director for Financial Aid is responsible for overseeing counseling operations within the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). This position provides guidance to students and family members or supporters of students regarding financial aid options, eligibility, and application processes, including scholarships, loans, alternative financing, and debt management. The role involves awarding financial aid, managing student eligibility, and ensuring compliance with requirements such as R2T4, Verification, SAP, and audits. Additionally, the Associate Director will supervise 4 Financial Aid Counselors and the Assistant Director of Counseling Services, who manages the OSFA front desk operations.

Responsibilities

The duties include, but are not limited to:

COUNSELING: Counseling students and families regarding financial aid eligibility and advising on aid programs, distribution of aid, and renewal requirements. Counsel students how enrollment affects aid amount awarded and how withdrawing or not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) affects future aid eligibility. Advise students and families regarding non-aid options (i.e., payment plan, etc.) to pay institutional charges by the payment deadline.

SUPERVISION: The Associate Director will supervise the four Financial Aid Counselors and the Assistant Director of Counseling Services, ensuring they deliver excellent customer service via counseling, telephone, email, and walk-in interactions. This includes providing guidance on best practices for handling inquiries, resolving issues efficiently, and maintaining a high level of professionalism.

TRAINING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT: The Associate Director will regularly monitor counseling performance, offer training and support to the team, and implement improvements to ensure timely and accurate responses to students and parents.

FINANCIAL AID PROCESSING: Assist with the processing of federal, state, and institutional aid following documented policy and procedures for these financial aid programing, including completing SAP processing for all students per term. Responsible for technical and various system functions for the processing of student aid.

COMPLIANCE: The Associate Director ensures financial aid compliance when awarding students financial aid and is transparent when counseling students regarding eligibility. This position is responsible for managing key compliance requirements such as Return of Title IV (R2T4) funds, Verification, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and other requirements. The Associate Director is responsible for maintaining accurate records, reviewing financial aid counseling processes for compliance with regulatory standards, and working closely with the financial aid leadership team to address any issues. This role is essential in ensuring that financial aid counseling services are compliant and transparent for the integrity of the aid counseling process.

OTHER: Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five years of progressive financial aid experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Working experience with student information systems such as Banner and Department of Education software, NSLDS, COD, Ed Connect. Master's Degree from an accredited college or university. Managerial experience and experience with Ellucian Banner Financial Aid.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of Microsoft Office environments. 
Knowledge of and ability to comply with Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws. 
Willingness to travel to provide training and education.

SKILLS
Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as public speaking and presentation skills. 
Professional judgment and critical thinking skills for interpreting and applying federal and/or state regulations and guidelines governing the awarding of financial aid to students.

ABILITIES
Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of people. 
Demonstrated ability to efficiently and effectively solve problems and initiate and implement projects independently. 
Willingness to learn Ellucian Banner SIS, CampusLogic, Technolutions Slate CRM, and other
databases/interfaces. 
Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. 
Ability to uphold all federal and state statutes and regulations regarding eligibility and distribution of student financial aid.
Ability to prioritize tasks, detail oriented, and possess a teamwork spirit.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, faculty, and other constituents.
Ability and willingness to maintain confidentiality.