Financial Aid Director

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Aid provides strategic vision, compliance oversight, and operational leadership for the Financial Aid Office at The College of St. Scholastica. This key leadership role ensures the equitable, accurate, and timely distribution of federal, state, and institutional funds while fostering a supportive, student-centered environment that aligns deeply with the College’s Benedictine values of respect and community.

Reporting Relationships & Scope

Serves as a crucial member of the Enrollment Management leadership team, overseeing the full range of financial aid programming for both undergraduate and graduate student populations, and balancing dual accountability for rigorous technical compliance and strategic enrollment contribution.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Enrollment Partnership

  • Serve as a senior member of the Enrollment Management team, contributing financial aid expertise to recruitment and retention strategies across undergraduate, graduate, and targeted student populations.

  • Collaborate closely with enrollment leadership and external consulting partners to analyze first-year discount rates, net tuition revenue, and enrollment outcomes to build and optimize strategic aid packaging models.

  • Partner with the Associate VP for Enrollment Management and institutional leadership to establish annual aid budgets, merit scholarship parameters, and need-based aid philosophies.

  • Partner with Admissions on funnel management, providing timely award data, supporting yield initiatives, and helping to shape clear recruitment messaging around college affordability.

  • Serve on college-wide committees and task forces dedicated to student success, retention, data governance, and strategic planning.

• Compliance Oversight & Institutional Reporting

  • Serve as the primary institutional expert and authority on federal and state financial aid policies, maintaining full compliance with Title IV regulations, FERPA, and Minnesota Office of Higher Education (MOHE) policies.

  • Lead and coordinate all internal and external compliance reviews, annual audits, and federal program reviews. Implement corrective action plans immediately if deficiencies are identified.

  • Direct the timely preparation and accurate submission of required state and federal reports, including the FISAP, State of Minnesota grant reconciliations, National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) reporting, IPEDS, and NACUBO surveys.

  • Ensure Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policies are accurately calculated, updated, consistently applied, and clearly communicated.

  • Establish protocols for tracking student enrollment changes (withdrawals, leaves of absence) to guarantee compliant award revisions and disbursement timings.

• System Management & Operations

  • Lead critical financial aid systems management and process improvement initiatives, specifically driving the institutional transition from Banner to Workday Student and managing subsequent system configuration, testing, and optimization.

  • Ensure total data integrity and seamless integration between Workday/Banner, the Slate CRM platform, external lender platforms, and other institutional IT systems.

  • Oversee the day-to-day operations of the office, monitoring processing volumes, defining operating standards, and ensuring a smooth, accurate timeline for awarding and verification.

  • Establish protocols for census day processes to ensure student data is fully verified prior to term disbursements.

• Team Development & Student-Centered Culture

  • Recruit, supervise, evaluate, and mentor financial aid staff, intentionally fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and positive workplace culture that models Benedictine values.

  • Design and execute continuous professional development and training programs regarding changing federal/state regulations, software processes, and premium customer service standards.

  • Serve as the final escalation point for complex financial aid cases, professional judgment determinations, dependency overrides, and financial appeals.

  • Ensure all student-facing communications—including award letters, verification requests, and general web information—are clear, plain-spoken, empathetic, and easily understood by families.

  • Collaborate with academic advisors, student success teams, and the Student Accounts/Billing office to systematically identify and alleviate financial barriers to degree completion.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.

• Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working within a college or university financial aid office.

• Regulatory Expertise: Minimum of five (5) years of direct experience administering federal and state financial aid regulations, including deep Title IV compliance.

• Supervision: Minimum of three (3) years of direct experience supervising and evaluating professional staff.

• Systems: Demonstrated experience with financial aid system administration, data management, and the database packaging of financial aid awards.