Director of Financial Aid (1918)

The Director of Financial Aid will cultivate collaboration, knowledge-sharing and compliant best practices within the Financial Aid office and the University. This leader plays a critical role in supporting student access, overseeing a dedicated team, and is responsible for the overall administration of complex and evolving financial aid regulations at the institutional, state and federal levels. The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge of Title IV programs, a strategic mindset, and a passion for serving students in a diverse environment. The Director will need to be adept at cross-departmental collaboration, student advocacy and outstanding customer service. The Director supports the Senior Director in a vital role supporting the University’s mission, enhancing student experience, ensuring effective implementation of compliant aid policies and procedures.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Manage operations, allocate and monitor operating budgets and provide direction to staff members in the Department of Financial Aid.
2. Manage all financial aid program awarding, disbursement, and reporting and ensure compliance with institutional policies and state/federal regulations. Establish best practices to ensure regulatory compliance.
3. Address all concerns and issues from students, parents, and administrators pertaining to the core functions of financial aid in a diplomatic and thoughtful manner.
4. Develop and recommend policies for financial aid programs that support the mission and goals of the University which ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
5. Maintain a high-performance environment through the leadership, hiring, supervision, training, and development of the financial aid staff.
6. Assist to develop and implement policies and strategies for awarding financial aid that best maximize the yield of new students and the retention of current students.
7. Provide oversight and management over all audit functions, both internal and external, related to financial aid. Ensure that appropriate action plans are developed and implemented to address any audit findings and recommendations, and ensure compliance with all federal, state and university regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures.
8. Assist with the management, creation, and submission of all reports including but not limited to the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP), Cost of Attendance (COA), and the Program Participation Agreement (PPA).
9. Foster a collaborative and positive environment that promotes access and openness among team members and responsiveness to internal and external constituents.
10. Leverage the available technology to create efficiencies, improve communication, and ensure data integrity in the financial aid functional areas. Develop and execute communication plans with current and prospective students.
11. Develop, execute, and represent financial aid education presentations on-campus.
12. Serve on University committees and task groups; serve as the chair of SAP Appeal Committee.
13. Maintains working knowledge of databases to include Ellucian Colleague, Perceptive Content, Georgia Student Finance systems, Central Processing System (CPS), Common Origination and Disbursement (COD), and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
14. Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending professional development conferences, educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, researching new or proposed legislation.
15. Ensures departmental staff has clear direction and information needed to perform their duties, tracks project flow and assists with challenges and problems as needed. Maintains advocacy for department needs an