Academe Careers | Director of Financial Aid at Morton College in Cicero, Illinois, United States

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Director of Financial Aid

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Morton College

Location: Cicero, Illinois
Category: Financial Aid, Senior / Executive Management
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Job Description

Full Job Description

Required Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess a Bachelor’s degree in Business or a Liberal Arts discipline, or related experience. Five years of progressive financial aid experience. Five years supervisory and budget experience. Extensive progressive leadership experience in the area of Financial Aid Administration, including but not limited to the following; supervising employees, packaging and certifying financial aid awards, managing aid from Title IV and other agencies including MAP awards, Veterans Benefits and institutional scholarships, loans, working with various electronic financial aid systems and preparing accurate reports for submission to federal, state and other regulatory agencies. Familiarity and facility with computerized student database systems and the ability to utilize emerging technologies in the delivery of student services. Must have ability to successfully manage a diverse staff. Must have strong public speaking and presentation skills.

Must be able to demonstrate the Morton College core values of compassion, fairness, respect, responsibility, tolerance and truth.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree. Previous administrative experience in a community college setting. Ten years financial aid experience and Ellucian Colleague experience. Bilingual in Spanish and English both written and oral. The candidate must demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the community college philosophy in addition to an appreciation of and sensitivity to the importance of financial aid programs in facilitating access to higher education. Must be able to perform student and system financial aid audits. Must have an ability to manage competing commitments and understanding the nature of student-centered work is imperative. Ability to understand personal and financial problems encountered by college students and parents. Detail oriented and excellent organizational skills.

Job Summary

The Director of Financial Aid will be responsible for implementing and managing a comprehensive program of financial aid opportunities and services that are compliant with federal, state, Accreditation and institutional requirements, and which supports the colleges’ objective to deliver financial aid services that are clear, compliant, professional and efficient. Specifically, the Director of Financial Aid assists in student enrollment, retention, and success by providing leadership and oversight of the policies, administration, application, award and reporting of all federal, state, and institutional student financial aid programs and scholarships. The Director is responsible for overseeing Financial Aid, institutional scholarships, and building an atmosphere dedicated to providing excellent customer service for students and families. Financial Aid plays a significant role in our focus on increasing student access, success, retention, and graduation. The Director should be familiar with the challenges and barriers that community college students and their families face in preparing for college and navigating the financial aid process. The Director should be positioned to help students overcome the obstacles in their path to postsecondary education.

Specific Job Duties

Provide leadership, management, and supervision for all student financial aid eligibility, awarding, verification processes and scholarship programs while maintaining compliance with all federal and state regulations and revise policies and procedures to accommodate changes in federal and state regulations and institutional policies.
Oversee the administration of federal Title IV Financial Aid programs, federal Military benefits verification and disbursement, state financial aid programs, including institutional scholarships.
Establish and direct the daily operation of the Financial Aid office, and serve as a visible leader in the One Stop Student Center.
Select, train, supervise and evaluate employees in the Financial Aid office and administer all operational aspects of the Financial Aid department.
Maintain financial aid records and regulatory compliance according to the federal, state, accrediting and institutional guidelines. Including, but not limited to, Direct responsibility for completing the annual audit; ISAC audit; FISAP IPEDS, NAIA, Common Data Set, Petersons, US News & World Report and other state and federal reports; program reviews; Board reports; and annual departmental reports.
Budgetary responsibility includes: developing future institutional financial aid budgets, monitoring present budget, and supervision of all department expenditures for college, state, and federal funds.
Ensure that the Financial Aid team is fully knowledgeable of financial aid policies and procedures and can articulate them accordingly. Plan and coordinate regular Financial Aid Department staff training.
Plan recruitment and retention initiatives, in cooperation with other members of the college administrative team, and faculty, including student orientation, early-bird testing and registration, and other outreach programs.
Maintain close working relationships with personnel from local high schools, transfer colleges and universities, and the college faculty and academic deans.
Communicate financial information in a professional and courteous manner to help students and families understand their financial package and accountability to the college.
Present financial aid sessions at College visit days, college fairs, or high school financial aid nights. Support outreach efforts by offering financial aid presentations and workshops.
Be available to intervene/or help Financial Aid employees who need help with students, parents or with the application of a regulatory guideline.
Provide cross—training opportunities within the Financial Aid office for maximum service to students.
Recommends changes in existing policies/procedures as needed to ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory regulations.
Identify and seek input from campus stakeholders relating to procedural changes with potential to impact the management of their functional area.
Ensure the College is following all applicable federal audit provisions.
Develop and maintain a system of data collection and record keeping to be used in reporting and evaluating the financial aid and veteran programs, as well as keep auditable records for each student.
Plan and facilitate monthly department meeting.
Refine and keep current the departmental website on for financial assistance programs, policies, application procedures, and recipient responsibilities.
Maintain the College’s Net Price Calculator and provide content for Financial Aid web pages.
Manage all financial aid communication documentation.
Oversight of the Return of Title IV funds process.
Prepare and submit reports required by federal, state and other regulatory agencies within the time—frame stipulated.
Facilitate consensus and develop positive working relationships throughout the institution. Must be a team player and team builder.
Will serve on the Accreditation and other Campus committees.
Assume additional duties as assigned by immediate supervisor.