Assistant Director, Grants and Scholarships

University of Denver•Denver, CO

1d•$60,000 - $70,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Enrollment Division at the University of Denver, which consists of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid, seeks to attract and enroll students who will become leaders, scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and public servants uniquely qualified to live in and shape a global society. The Undergraduate Admission team recognizes education as a means of individual and societal transformation - our vision is to inspire, guide, and support prospective and current students as leaders and scholars who will positively impact their communities. In our daily work, the enrollment team is guided by these values: intentional and informed decisions; integrity and inclusion; collaboration; fiscal responsibility; spirit; clear and thoughtful communication; and exceptional quality service. The Financial Aid Office is dedicated to serving and educating students, families, colleagues, and the community through the financial aid process from pre-enrollment to program completion. We value empathy and integrity, knowledgeable and professional staff, advocacy and access, clear and consistent communication, and compliance. We have primary responsibility for the undergraduate financial aid process, and we also serve the graduate student population. Position Summary Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Financial Aid Advising, the Assistant Director of Grants and Scholarships has primary responsibility for scholarship and grant administration. Working closely with University Advancement and academic units, the Assistant Director oversees the awarding of DU scholarships and grants to traditional undergraduates and online graduate students. In addition, the Assistant Director manages private scholarships for all DU students. The Assistant Director is also responsible for campus-based federal and state grant administration, including, but not limited to, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Colorado Student Grants, and Colorado Graduate Grants. In addition, the Assistant Director develops and maintains a thorough knowledge of federal, state, and institutional financial aid topics to counsel students and parents about financial aid at DU and reviews student files to ensure compliance with all financial aid rules and regulations. The Assistant Director also serves as a leader within the financial aid office and supervises two full-time staff members. Further, the Assistant Director will help with the management of two to three student employees and coordinate their activities to best assist with meeting overall grant and scholarship team goals.

Requirements

Possess a deep understanding of federal and institutional need analysis methodologies and strong skills in federal and institutional financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures.
Demonstrate strong skills in conflict resolution, verbal and written communication, time management, and human relations.
Maintain proficiency with Banner and the ability to resolve data integrity issues and discrepancies.
Ability to read, analyze and interpret publications, technical procedures, and government regulations.
Ability to draft reports, correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.
Ability to apply concepts of basic and intermediate algebra.
Ability to deal with complex problems.
The Assistant Director must demonstrate strong overall and program specific financial aid knowledge.
The position requires proficiency with standard MS Office software applications.
Bachelor’s Degree
Must have proficient knowledge of financial aid processes, guidelines, and procedures, including two (2) to four (4) years of direct financial aid experience.
Two to three years of supervisory experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree
Five years or more of direct financial aid office experience, including work in an office using institutional methodology.

Responsibilities

Develop, manage, and support student financial aid programs; lead staff training and partnership collaborations.
Manage institutional and private scholarship awards for DU undergraduate students.
Assist in monitoring and maintaining financial aid fund codes for compliance with awarding policies, updating fund access and messages to students.
Help with creating DU undergraduate grants and scholarships division budget, including gift, endowed funds, and loan funds.
Ensure accurate accounting of funds flow from aid disbursements to student accounts.
Conduct monthly and year-end reconciliations for full expenditure or return of funds.
Manage the annual gift and awarding process for undergraduates, including database queries, student eligibility assessments, and communication with academic units.
Award athletic scholarships, including posting, reviewing, and ensuring compliance with rules, record-keeping, updating procedures, and handling administrative tasks like fund balances and refunds.
Responsible for campus-based federal and state grant programs (e.g., SEOG, CSG, CGG) to confirm awards meet compliance and budgetary guidelines.
Review and maintain annually to comply with gift and endowment guidelines.
Assist with creating new policies for external scholarships.
Supervise summer aid awards for efficiency and compliance.
Review scholarship appeals for policy compliance.
Collaborate with campus partners to stay informed and responsive to their needs, maintaining extensive knowledge of their policies and procedures.
Monitor applicant progress, devise review strategies, analyze data for feedback to leadership.
Supervise, mentor, and manage three financial aid and three customer-service-focused student staff.
Regularly assess processes and team requirements; suggest enhancements to senior staff.
Serve as a member of the Advising Leadership Team.
Assist prospective and continuing students and individuals in the DU community with financial aid concerns such as applications, eligibility, disbursement, policies, and rights.
Maintain updated knowledge on financial aid topics, such as costs, awards, scholarships, loans, billing, deadlines, and aid policies.
Handle client financial and personal matters with discretion, adhering to regulations and maintaining confidentiality.
Present effectively and manage outreach presentation requests, evaluating their impact.
Furnish advisors with a framework for conveying financial aid info effectively to DU students in a professional, friendly manner.
Evaluate family finances using FAFSA, CSS Profile, tax returns, and other documents to gauge educational funding capacity.
Serve as a financial aid expert, explaining complex calculations and reasons behind awarding aid, reviewing student finances, and offering professional judgments for special cases.
Research and resolve student issues such as verification reviews, FAFSA corrections, aid packaging, budget adjustments, and academic progress monitoring.
Develop and conduct training sessions for staff, partners, and solicit feedback for improvements.
Follow regulations to interpret information accurately and ensure program compliance.
Supervise and mentor financial aid team and student workers.
Ensure accurate work completion and that effective feedback is provided to staff.