Assistant Director, Financial Aid Financial Aid Advising & Student Support

The mission of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is the development of professional health care practitioners through innovation, individualized, and quality classroom, clinical, and distance education.

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Assistant Director, Financial Aid Advising & Student Support is focused on delivering an exceptional student experience and responsible for the advising aspects of the student financing process.  The individual will lead the team that advises students and their families on financial matters related to the cost of attending the university, payment options to include federal, state, private, veterans’ education benefits, military tuition assistance, payment plans and institutional aid.  This position requires the individual to provide and model a high level of customer service by working closely with admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and finance groups to ensure that prospective and continuing students/families have a complete and comprehensive understanding of the institution, cost of attending the university and how to pay for their education using both Title IV and non-Title funds. This is a campus-based position and is not eligible for remote work. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and lead the financial aid advising function to ensure appropriate and timely support to students and families on available funding options in accordance with their need’s assessments.
• Create policies and procedures that ensure students receive timely and accurate information, that their questions are resolved and they can progress through the matriculation and onboarding process without delay. 
• Develop and implement financial awareness initiatives to inform students of borrowing cost and Return on Investment (ROI).
• Manage a team that provides a thorough overview of financial aid and veterans’ education benefits and military tuition assistance as necessary or refer the student/family to the proper subject matter expert.
• Serve as a School Certifying Official for veterans’ education benefits, including completion of required training, certification of benefits, and compliance and tracking with all regulatory standards.
• Prepare initial drafts and renewals of applications for funding, such as VA approvals, military tuition assistance, private lending and third-party servicers. 
• Advise students/families on how to best locate information necessary to complete financial paperwork successfully and to meet any deadlines.
• Prepare and distribute welcome letters, reapplication reminders, award letters and resolve verification comments.
• Guide students/families through financial aid and financing paperwork to completion.
• Advise students on all matters related to financing their education as it relates to enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, leave of absences, etc., so students can make informed decisions about borrowing.
• Monitor student satisfaction with services and develop action plans to improve support and eliminate barriers to students as their finance their education. 
• Develop a supplemental financing resource to assist students in securing other financing options designed to reduce their debt burden. 
• Develop policies and procedures to support institutional funding initiatives and work with Admissions to oversee and process institutional awards.
• Work with the Primary Designated School Official to manage and support international students on F-1 education visas.
• Collaborate with leadership to develop initiatives related to federal financial aid regulatory guidelines such as 90-10, gainful employment and administrative capabilities.
• Represent the Financial Aid Office at internal and external events, such as immersion days, orientation, virtual information sessions, conferences, and trainings.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the university as it relates to admissions, academic advising, registrar, financial aid, and enrollment so that students/families are directed to subject matter experts as appropriate.
• Maintain compliance with all federal and state requirements and support the institution’s compliance efforts, particularly those efforts related to audits, program reviews, site visits accreditation and data collection.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May perform other duties and responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time.

• Assure that students are serviced at the highest of standards.
• Assure that all communications to students and staff are correct and timely. 
• Provide leadership with the ability to influence, inspire and motivate individuals and groups to achieve results.
• Demonstrate objectivity, integrity, and ethical behavior and continuously acquire new skills and knowledge.

POSITION IN ORGANIZATION

REPORTS TO:  Executive Director, Financial Services & Compliance

POSITIONS SUPERVISED:  Sr. Financial Aid Advisors and Financial Aid Advisors

TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL & PEOPLE SKILLS REQUIRED

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Incumbents will be evaluated, in part, based on performance of each essential function.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Proven expertise in federal and state policies and regulations governing the various financial aid programs available to graduate students.
• Thorough knowledge of Title IV, state, VA and military regulations and requirements.
• Participate in local, regional, and national professional associations, remain up to date on regulations, rules, and pending legislation.
• Demonstrate leadership ability, great communication skills both verbally and written; strong organizational agility and time management skills.
• Ability to handle information of sensitive and confidential nature in the utmost professional manner.
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, initiative, resourcefulness, and personal accountability.
• Effective analytical and decision-making skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse constituents.
• Attention to detail and adaptability to a changing environment is extremely important as well as dependability.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; Masters degree highly preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of significant financial services and customer service experience.

• At least 2 years of successful managerial experience in financial aid or student services.
• Previous experience with financial aid awarding and counseling at a graduate level, highly preferred.
• Strong customer service/student service skills in a fast-paced, changing environment required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate technical information to individuals with diverse capabilities.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to provide reporting and analysis as needed to all audiences.

• Must have experience with the financial aid and student information systems; specifically, proficiency in PowerFAIDS, Salesforce, Jenzabar, College Board, other CRMs and SIS.
• Demonstrated experience successfully resolving student issues from request to resolution ensuring a positive student experience.
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

TRAVELInfrequent travel, not to exceed 10%, to other campuses as necessary and appropriate conferences.

BUSINESS COMPETENCIES

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Instills Trust - Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Drives Engagement (People Managers Only) - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.
• People Leadership (People Managers Only) - Leads by example when it comes to finding and developing talent, with a focus on talent acquisition strategies, setting performance targets that raises standards and development of high potential talent.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed primarily in a standard office environment but may involve exposure to moderate noise levels. Work involves operation of personal computer equipment for six to eight hours daily and includes physical demands associated with a traditional office setting, e.g., walking, standing, communicating, and other physical functions as necessary.