Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Tennessee Board of Regents•Chattanooga, TN

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director position oversees customer service, escalations, and compliance while providing vision, leadership, and management for the Financial Aid Office. This includes Return to Title IV for credit students, account balancing with the Bursar’s Office for state and institutional aid, institutional scholarship awarding, and state funded grants: Foster Child Tuition Grant and Helping Hero Grants. The Assistant Director serves as the liaison with state agencies (THEC/TSAC) and utilizes the FAST student information system for downloading eligibility reports, updating eligibility data, certifying award payments, and making payment adjustments. In addition, the role maintains extensive knowledge of state eligibility, and college financial aid requirements, policies, and procedures.

Requirements

Must possess at least an Associate’s Degree in a related field, such as Accounting, Finance, Business, or Education
Must have 3 years of experience working with financial aid
Proficient in Microsoft Office and other commonly used office applications
Extensive experience working in a finance, customer service, or educational setting, preferably at a postsecondary institution
Comfortable working in a stressful, fast-paced environment with a high level of sensitivity towards confidentiality and working with a diverse student population
Demonstrated skills in basic accounting and clerical functions

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree preferred
5+ years of experience preferred
Prefer experience working with a student information system, such as Ellucian Banner, Ellucian Colleague, or PeopleSoft.

Responsibilities

Daily monitoring of award applications, eligibility changes, registration, engagement, and academic progress with timely responses to and communications with enrolled students and parents (within FERPA guidelines)
Collaborate with faculty, staff, and student service areas to share information, align support services, and create seamless experiences for students.
Respond to escalated student, parent, or faculty/staff issues with professionalism, empathy, and timely resolution.
Initiate communication strategies, workshops, and events to increase student and family understanding of financial aid, financial literacy, and affordability
Ensure accurate administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid funds in accordance with all applicable regulations.
Monitor fund expenditures and reconcile accounts regularly to prevent over-awards, aid discrepancies, or compliance risks.
Adheres to consistent, accurate policies, procedures, and processes for awarding students, making award adjustments, and evaluating eligibility in accordance with federal, state, and institutional guidelines.
Develops and adheres to consistent, transparent business practices, both within the Financial Aid Office and in collaboration with outside offices, for accurate fund reconciliation, monitoring of award payments/adjustments, and requests or returns of state funds.
Collaborates with Early College for proactive outreach and engagement of students
Establishes clear communication channels with students, faculty, staff, and outside agencies
Oversee other Financial Aid staff to maintain constant coverage of escalations and emails from other offices on campus
Conduct annual staff performance reviews, support career growth, and foster a collaborative, accountable, and student-focused work environment.
Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and respectful team culture focused on shared goals, continuous improvement, and high-quality student service.
Engage in ongoing professional development
Oversee administration, reconciliation, and reporting of federal, state, and institutional funds, including Return of Title IV calculations, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Provide input regarding compliance and processing
Develop innovative approaches to ensure ongoing compliance with state and institutional regulations.
Evaluate changes in financial aid regulations and adjust internal processes to maintain compliance while optimizing operational efficiency.
Effective time management and prioritization of job demands
Attention to detail and understanding of data analysis, mathematical & financial computations, and identifying/resolving data discrepancies
Ability to work collaboratively and establish positive, productive working relationships
Excellent communication and customer service skills
Demonstrates continuous learning and improvement in knowledge of and compliance with state regulations, technical processes, and professional development
Works independently, with minimal supervision, meets goals and deadlines, is self-directed and seeks innovative ways to perform job responsibilities efficiently and effectively
Other duties as assigned.