Director of Financial Aid
POSITION: Director of Financial Aid
SUPERVISOR: Dean of Retention and Persistence
DEPARTMENT: Financial Aid
LOCATION: On-campus, located in Tiffin, OH
JOB TYPE: Full-time
GRANT-FUNDED: No
SOC Code: 13-2050
General Job Description:
The Director of Financial Aid provides strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of student financial aid programs, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations. Working collaboratively with colleagues in the Business Office, Advancement, Admissions, Student Accounts, Advising, Student Development and Transformation, Athletics, Registrar Office, and Provost/Enrollment enterprise. Implement financial aid policies, procedures, and initiatives that support the goals and objectives of the office and university. The Director will prepare reports adhering to federal, state, and institutional guidelines; maintain focus on quality and convenience to the students. Responsibilities include developing and implementing annual plans; coordinating and participating in outreach to external stakeholders; developing procedures; conducting research; preparing formal reports for external regulatory organizations; determining departmental policy; recommending and monitoring the financial aid budget and developing financial aid as a recruitment and retention tool; and providing counseling and information sessions for external and internal customers.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
- Establish and monitor policies and procedures to assure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
- Maintain updated information related to federal and state compliance issues for financial aid. Includes providing guidance and interpretation to others on financial aid regulations.
- Serve as liaison with the US Department of Education.
- Ability to and responsible for accurate completion of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Return to Title IV Calculations (R2T4), Verifications, Federal Work-study reporting, and FVT/Gainful Employment Reporting.
- Complete the FISAP form and Direct Loan, Pell, and Teach Grant close-out annually.
- Report to the federal and state agencies as mandated by law (PPA, E-APP).
- Take the lead on data analysis and strategic projections regarding budgets, enrollments, and the strategic use of financial aid.
- Develop annual documents needed to process aid, as well as documents to be used for informative purposes, including website, social media, and publications.
- Understand FERPA regulations and the ability to manage confidential information.
- Respond to incoming communication, written and verbal.
- Collaborate with other staff in development and monitoring of processes that cut across office lines (i.e., Advancement Office regarding student endowment scholarships; Business Office on joint processing functions such as EFTs, student work-study, G5 drawdown, etc.)
- Actively engage with the enrollment, retention, and persistence team, including weekly strategy meetings and active engagement and contribution.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of relevant college and student records systems, such as registration, admissions, and student accounts, and provide similar opportunities for staff.
- Participate in professional development activities. Broaden awareness of financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures by attending the Federal Student Aid Conference each year, video conferences, and other training functions provided by the Federal and State Department of Education and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
- Utilize all software resources, including but not limited to: NSLDS, FAA Access, COD, CPS, FISAP, ELM, FastChoice, Colleague, and FSA Connect.
- Gather and coordinate reports and files for successful annual financial aid audits.
- Troubleshoot system processing issues, interfaces, and resolution of errors, and perform random quality assurance testing on financial aid processes.
- Supervise and coordinate award processing and packaging of all forms of student aid.
- Counsel and advise students, parents, alumni, and employees about financial aid eligibility, application procedures, aid programs, packaging policies, costs, billing process, and indebtedness.
- Assists in the preparation and presentation of information regarding federal, state, and institutional financial aid, scholarships, employment, and grants for various campus groups, high school students, and parents at meetings, group discussions, workshops, and recruitment sessions and orientations.
- Serve on appropriate committees.
- Supervises Financial Aid staff.
- Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications for the Job:
Education
- A Bachelor's degree is required.
- A Master's degree is preferred.
Experience
- 5-7 years of experience in student financial aid administration or related field.
Other
- Supervisory and managerial experience in a professional office environment.
- Excellent communication and counseling skills (verbal, written, and presentation), including computer, math, and technical skills.
- Demonstrate experience working with diverse populations.
- Proven working knowledge in a student/financial aid database system and Microsoft products (i.e., Colleague, NSLDS, COD, CPS, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required.
- Superior knowledge and understanding of the Federal/State laws and agencies governing student financial aid.
- Experience with both the strategic and operational aspects of higher-education financial aid.
- Proven track record as it relates to keeping staff motivated and working at optimum levels, especially at peak times, and establishing a customer service-focused culture, balanced with accurate processing.
- The ability to multitask effectively, managing simultaneous projects while working in a high-pressure, fast-paced, and frequently changing environment, is required.
- Ability to work flexible schedule to include office hours as well as potential extended hours and weekends required, some travel required.
- Demonstrated ability to diagnose and develop solutions to complex problems is required.
- Effective project management skills required, and enjoys discovering, creating, and training others on new solutions.
- Must be in good standing with Federal Student Loans.
Benefits at Tiffin University:
At Tiffin University, we believe in taking care of our people. We're committed to fostering a healthy, supportive, and rewarding workplace for all of our team members. That's why all full-time employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their health, financial security, and work-life balance.
- Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you and your family healthy.
- Health Savings & Flex Spending Accounts: Options to save pre-tax dollars, with employer contributions to your HSA.
- Income Protection: Employer-paid basic life insurance and long-term disability, plus voluntary plans for short-term disability, supplemental life, accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness.
- Retirement Savings: A 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching contributions to help you plan for the future.
- Time Off: Generous paid time off for vacation and sick leave, plus paid holidays throughout the year.
- Education Benefits: Tuition assistance and benefits for you and eligible family members.
- Support Services: Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for personal and professional support.
Tiffin University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. While we strive for a diverse mix of candidates, all employment decisions are made without regard to race, sex, or other protected characteristics.
Tiffin University is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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