Assistant Director of Financial Aid Processing

The primary function is to manage, complete, and distribute the daily tasks of the Financial Aid Processing Center. Creates a positive environment and completes tasks that are required on a student's account in order to establish their financial aid package. This position assists campuses with in-depth processing questions, escalated account issues, and complex errors on student files. The position is responsible for ensuring that student files are processed in a timely manner and that student accounts are in accordance with federal and state regulations and institutional policy and procedures. This position also assists with questions from the financial aid processors and performs training to processing staff on a variety of financial aid topics.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative:

• Determine daily priorities, anticipated workload and distribute daily tasks for Financial Aid Processing Center.

• Research and answer escalated questions from staff, faculty and administration via tickets, instant messages and email.  Communicates as needed with external agencies through answering inquires and respond appropriately to faculty, staff and other agencies and partnerships that collaborate with the institution. 

• Organizes and conducts financial aid training for financial aid processing staff.

• Works with Financial Aid Systems Office team and IT for process improvements.

• Research and answer escalated questions from staff, faculty and administration via help tickets, instant messages and email.  Answer inquires and respond appropriately to faculty, staff and other agencies and partnerships that collaborate with the institution. 

• Review and maintain student financial aid accounts with accuracy and completeness by monitoring financial aid awards and reports regularly; analyzing data from those reports, identifying problems through internal audits and recommending solutions based on best practices.

• Assist with R2T4 calculations and reviews.

Administrative Processing of Financial Aid: 

• Maintain accurate, auditable and complete student financial aid records. 

• Process applications and other materials related to financial assistance, including Student Aid Reports (SAR), student/parent loan applications, financial aid transcripts, verification of information and certification of student eligibility and other forms of financial aid application materials as needed.

• Pull and complete loan error reports, review the loan errors and determine appropriate action required as needed.

• Review accounts with holds: TA (Transfer Alert) holds and compare with information on NSLDS, adjust aid as needed. Review GL (Grad Level) holds to determine if student is eligible for the loan amount posted, adjust accordingly. OA (Over award) and over need issues.  Adjust accounts to keep file in compliance with Federal/State regulations.

• Resolve C-Flags on student accounts (Loan Defaults, Citizenship, DD214, Loan limit, etc.) as needed by pulling and completing C-Flags reports to resolve C-Flags conflicts that exist on student accounts.

• Maintain contact with agencies regarding financial aid requirements and issues with student eligibility status, while following FERPA guidelines.

• Assist with pulling and reviewing loan not originating report, review account using checklist and determine why a loan is not creating, as needed.  Resolve issue on account that is preventing certification.

Leadership and Student Support 

• Serve as a point of contact in the absence of the Director and the Processing Assistant Director Leads. Serve as a backup for providing direct support for answering escalated questions and issues from financial aid Processors. Assist in identify training needs, communicate to the director and assist in coordinating and implementing trainings.

• Participates in team projects in the management and administration of all financial aid programs for students, including staff and resource management, audit reports and program reviews, compliance with college and funding agency requirements, processing of financial aid disbursement authorizations, maintenance of financial aid database, reconciliation of financial aid data, communicate to students account changes or issues with documentation, and assist with the development of financial aid policy and procedures the ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.

• Organize resources and initiate actions within established guidelines to achieve departmental objectives. Provide recommenda