Director, Financial Aid

Job Duties And Responsibilities

• Develops and implements financial aid policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Oversees the awarding, disbursement, and reconciliation of Title IV, state, and institutional aid.
• Supervises and trains financial aid staff, ensuring cross-training and professional development.
• Maintains the financial aid budget, including forecasting and fund utilization.
• Ensures compliance with Return of Title IV (R2T4), Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and verification processes.
• Leads strategic initiatives to improve financial aid delivery and support enrollment management goals.
• Collaborates with Admissions, Registrar, and Student Accounts to ensure seamless student support.
• Prepares and submits federal and state reports, including FISAP, IPEDS, and TBR extracts; maintains institutional eligibility through the Program Participation Agreement (PPA); develops the annual Cost of Attendance (COA); and serves as the institution’s Primary Destination Point Administrator (DPA) for federal financial aid systems.
• Coordinates with IT staff, computer programmers, and systems analysts to ensure financial aid systems are accurately configured, integrated, and maintained; communicates functional needs and participates in system testing, upgrades, and troubleshooting.
• Collaborates with external agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Education, TSAC, auditors, scholarship providers) and consults with internal stakeholders to support compliance, program development, and institutional alignment.
• Participates in professional development activities and conferences to stay current with financial aid trends and regulations.
• Conducts financial aid workshops and counseling sessions for students and families.
• Performs internal audits and self-assessments to ensure compliance and readiness for external reviews.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 4 years in financial aid administration, with 3 years in a supervisory role

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree

Skills And Abilities

• Comprehensive understanding of federal and state financial aid regulations and compliance frameworks.
• Familiarity with institutional policies and academic structures that influence financial aid eligibility.
• Working knowledge of student information systems and financial aid platforms (e.g., Banner).
• Awareness of data privacy standards and secure system access protocols.
• Strong analytical skills for interpreting regulations, managing budgets, and analyzing data.
• Effective communication skills for engaging with students, staff, external agencies, and technical teams.
• Leadership and team development skills to manage staff and foster collaboration.
• Technical fluency to translate operational needs to IT professionals and support system integration.
• Project management skills to lead initiatives and implement process improvements.
• Ability to interpret complex regulations and apply them to institutional practices.
• Ability to adapt to regulatory changes and evolving student needs.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage competing deadlines in a compliance-driven environment.
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours if required.
• Ability to travel to conferences and partnership meetings.

Special Instructions To Applicants

• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the application process.
• Official transcripts are required upon hire.
• Applicants may be subject to a background check.