Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Notre Dame of Maryland University•Baltimore, MD

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Financial Aid works collaboratively with the Director of Financial Aid, other Assistant Directors, and Financial Aid Counselors to support effective administration of financial aid programs and the daily operations of the Financial Aid Office. The role requires attention to detail and accuracy, the ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and institutional regulations, and discretion in handling confidential student and family information. The successful candidate demonstrates strong customer service, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills and works independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. The position provides financial aid counseling to students and parents, manages student caseloads or programs, reviews professional judgment requests, and conducts verification and resolution of conflicting information. It also supports award revisions, quality assurance, reconciliation, staff training, communications, seminars, reporting, and other office functions. The position requires a bachelor's degree and at least three years of financial aid experience in higher education.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
At least 3 years of financial aid experience in a higher education environment.
Knowledge of need analysis and verification procedures, financial aid software, and federal financial aid regulations.
Mainframe database experience.
Managerial aptitude.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to make effective presentations to large groups of students and parents.
Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues related to recruitment and retention of a diverse student body.
Ability to collect and analyze data and communicate the resulting information to other University personnel.
Ability to relate effectively to students, parents, staff, faculty, and administrators.
Strong organizational and management skills.
Experience with office applications software, preferably Microsoft Office products.

Nice To Haves

Experience with MDCAPS.

Responsibilities

Counsel students and parents on all aspects of the financial aid process and make referrals to other student service offices as needed.
Review professional judgment requests in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies.
Manage student caseloads and assigned financial aid programs.
Conduct verification and resolve conflicting information and C-Codes in student and parent data according to federal and state criteria.
Review subsequent ISIR transactions and adjust financial aid packages as needed.
Manage the Pell Grant and Teach programs.
Assist with training and mentoring staff members.
Revise student financial aid awards as needed.
Perform quality assurance checks and aid reconciliation.
Support the Financial Aid Counselor and Financial Aid Administrator positions.
Understand and adhere to federal, state, and institutional methodology.
Communicate FAFSA filing information and other deadlines to students through available channels, including email, automated calls, mailings, portals, and text messages.
Provide financial aid seminars and counseling as needed, and respond to inquiries from various sources.
Represent the University at professional, civic, educational, and government meetings as required.
Complete financial aid reports for the University as requested.
Perform similar, comparable, or related duties as assigned or required.