Director of Financial Aid

About the role

Reporting to the Campus President, the Financial Aid Director manages all aspects of campus financial aid operations. The Director engages, motivates, and builds an effective financial aid team and works closely with other campus departments to provide exceptional customer service to students and their families. The Director ensures regulatory compliance and coordinates with corporate level teams to resolve complex, sensitive, or escalated student aid issues.

• Manage the day-to-day service delivery operations of the Financial Aid Office. Oversee a staff of financial aid administrators to ensure students are properly funded, packaged, and prepared to start each term.
• Oversee all financial aid packaging, verification, and file review for all new and continuing students.
• Provide leadership and support to the Financial Aid Office to ensure compliance with regulations and a smooth and efficient enrollment and financial aid application process for students and their families, while identifying and implementing opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Manage the departmental appointment calendar while ensuring appropriate availability of staff for overviews, walk-ins, and other processing activities.
• Manage the departmental activity queue to monitor incomplete files and ensure timely completion of outstanding tasks.
• Establish clear performance expectations and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and service.
• Provide professional development and training related to regulatory changes, technology, financial aid practices, and customer service.
• Build strong working relationships with Admissions, Business Office, Registrar, and other administrative and academic departments to facilitate timely and efficient service to students.
• Advise and counsel prospective and enrolled students, families, and College administrators regarding federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Explain regulations, policies, compliance expectations, need analysis, verification requirements, budgeting considerations, and the application of aid within the financial aid process.
• Establish and track metrics and run rates to monitor staff performance and achievement of campus and departmental goals and initiatives.
• Ensure accurate data entry and record maintenance in the financial aid module of the Anthology student information system, federal databases, and related software.
• Ensure that staff provides compliant and effective student counseling regarding institutional costs, aid eligibility, student borrowing, and gap financing options.
• Maintain current knowledge of federal and institutional student financial aid policies, regulations, and trends. Interpret policies to guide daily work and to help resolve complex issues involving program and student eligibility.
• Represent Financial Aid in appropriate campus committees, meetings, and events.
• Contribute efforts to evaluate, prioritize, and implement enhancements to policies, processes, and service delivery methods to improve student services and office outcomes.
• Consistently deliver the best in customer service. As an employee, demonstrate respect, dignity, kindness and empathy in each encounter with customers, visitors and other employees.
• Actively follow and promote a safe working environment.
• Regular, in-person attendance up to 5 days per week on campus/on site is an essential function of this position.
• This role requires on-site collaboration with students, faculty, and staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position is located at our Corporate office in Tempe, AZ

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree preferred
• 5+ years of Financial Aid experience
• Anthology experience preferred
• Excellent customer service and organizational skills
• Attention to detail with the capability to multi-task
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office products including Word and Excel

We Offer

• Medical, Dental and Vision starting the 1st of the month following 30 days of employment
• 2 Weeks' starting Vacation per year. Increasing based on years of service with company
• 12 paid Holidays and 2 Floating Holidays
• 401K with a Company Matching
• Company Paid Life Insurance at 1x's your annual salary
• Leadership development and training for career advancement
• Tuition assistance and Forgiveness for you and your family up to 100% depending on program