Director of Student Financial Aid

The Director of Student Financial Aid is responsible for all student account functions, including student billing; cashiering operations; posting of federal and financial aid; timely issuance of student refund checks; monitoring and management of delinquent collection balances; supervising and managing the Financial Services Department; ensuring superior customer service to students, faculty and staff; managing third party vendors. This is a permanent full-time campus based position, incumbent must be able to commute to the campus.

Director of Student Financial Aid Duties and Accountabilities

• Manage and execute campus day-to-day financial aid activities, including: financial packaging, advising, Title IV eligibility, batching and requesting funds.
• Determine student’s Title IV eligibility and awards federal, state, institutional and private sources of financial aid to students within appropriate guidelines and regulations.
• Provide entrance and exit counseling at appropriate times to encourage responsible debt management and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Process timely student payments and assist in reconciliation of all student payments.
• Ensure billing of all tuition, fees and other student charges.
• Manage collection administration pertaining to past due accounts.
• Disburse to accounts all student financial aid.
• Review and process all student refunds.
• Monitor satisfactory academic progress; maintain systems of accountability.
• Organize and manage all required data maintenance for out-of-school borrower services as required in both the CampusVue and the NSLDS systems.
• Communicate effectively with students via e-mail providing information and responding to requests.
• Perform Professional Judgment reviews in individual cases regarding cost of education, family contribution, and dependency status.
• Exercise professional judgment and initiative to make recommendations for continual process improvement within Enrollment Services.
• Responsible for establishing and adhering to appropriate disbursal, recordkeeping, reporting, and verification procedures as well as the data entry function necessary to support the programs.
• Must be able to effectively communicate and counsel with enrolled and prospective students, and their families.
• Establish excellence in customer service by providing the ability to resolve serious complaints, maintain key relationships, make adjustments, handle high profile meetings, develop and foster very sensitive relations or other significant matters.
• Communicate frequently with appropriate contact and serve as liaison with federal and state agencies, financial institutions, campus offices, high school counselors and administrators, and other campus level administrators.
• Demonstrate proficiency in timely collections: 80% aid paid by end of the 5th week of term.
• Maintain consistently clean files for compliance with Federal/State regulations, SAE’s policies and procedures - Less than a 10% comment rate per term and less than a 5% potential liability rate for the year.
• Follow-up to collect outstanding documentation and arrange for follow up or final FA appointments with prospective and continuing students via e-mail, message board (via our internal student server), telephone, chat, and various other communication methods.
• Using software, monitor, create and complete contact activities daily to track activity, identify pending issues, and to assist in planning future work.

Director of Student Financial Aid Key Relationships:

• Campus Director
• Group Director of Student Financial Services
• SAE/Expression local and Group staff
• SAE/Expression Students

Director of Student Financial Aid Key Result Areas:

Objectives:

• Quality Assurance
• Manage Collections

Major Activities (Critical Success Factors)

• Adhere to company 6-step Financial Aid Process.
• Maintain consistently clean files for compliance with Federal/State regulations, SAE/Expression policies and procedures.
• Update National Student Loan Data system (NSLDS), Gemcore, and Campus Vue records in a timely accurate manner.
• Ensure billing of all tuition, fees and other student charges.
• Manage collection administration pertaining to past due accounts.

Key Performance Indicators:

• 90% packaged (at step 4 or above) at end of add/drop.
• 95% packaged (at step 4 or above) within 2 weeks of the start date.
• 100% packaged (at step 4 or above) within 4 weeks of start date.
• Less than 10% comment rate per term and less than a 5% potential liability rate for the year.
• Certify student enrollment data in NSLDS at least every 2 months.
• Weekly, review and issue invoices, and reconcile past due accounts.
• Ensure 80% of aid is paid by end of the 5th week of term.

Director of Student Financial Aid Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting.
• Previous experience working with and technical knowledge of student financial aid programs.
• More than three (3) years of progressive experience in Financial Aid assistance, which includes Title IV and/or non-Title IV packaging at a post-secondary institution.
• Knowledge of Veterans Benefits.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software programs, including Excel and PowerPoint for MAC.
• Non-financial aid experience might include customer service functions in a financial industry such as banking or credit services.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with both faculty and student populations.
• Superior organizational and problem resolution skills.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and comply with federal and state laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to the provision of student financial aid.
• Ability to interact effectively as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments.
• Ability to answer complicated student questions accurately and in detail.
• Ability to deliver outstanding customer service by telephone, e-mail, and other media.
• Ability to follow processes, work effectively on a team, and maintain a positive attitude.
• Ability to work without close supervision and to set one's own priorities and work schedule.
• Strong collaboration and team working ability.

COMPETENCIES

• Communicating: Communicating effectively with people at all levels in the organization. Communicating clear and concise information; avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and mixed messages. Giving specific, timely feedback to manager and others increasing the organization’s efficiency. Receiving cooperation and support from people at varying levels and in different groups.
• Learning & Adapting: Remaining productive during periods of change. Taking the initiative to mitigate challenges and obstacles as needed; being action oriented.
• Maximizing Resources: Working collaboratively with people throughout the organization. Supporting others when needed. Working effectively with people who have diverse ideas and perspectives.
• Quality & Customer Focus: Continuously look for ways to simplify and improve work processes to achieve better results. Seeking input from internal and external customers to create efficiencies and improve performance. Maintaining focus on long-term quality results.

Director of Student Financial Aid Additional Information:

Sitting and standing for long periods. Dexterity and coordination to handle files and single pieces of paper, occasional lifting of items weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds such as files, stacks of paper, equipment and other materials. Moving from place to place within the organization, minimal reaching for items above and below desk level. Strength, dexterity, coordination and vision to use keyboard and video display terminal for prolonged periods.