Assistant Director, Undergraduate Financial Aid

University of Denver

University of Denver seeks applications for an Assistant Director, Undergraduate Financial Aid.

Job Description

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Financial Aid Advising, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Undergraduate Student Advising has primary responsibility for undergraduate students and programs. With specific focus on undergraduates, 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. In addition, the Assistant Director serves as a subject matter expert for the CSS Profile application and institutional methodology. The Assistant Director administers professional judgment appeals to ensure efficacy, consistency, and efficiency. Further, the Assistant Director manages the Parent PLUS Loan process as well as other specialized areas of financial aid including VA benefits, study abroad and consortium agreements , and institutional loans. The Assistant Director serves as a leader within the financial aid office and supervises two full-time staff members . Essential Functions Program Responsibilities & Leadership: Design, implement, and maintain a Financial Literacy Program for prospective, current, and graduating students, and provide leadership and training for financial aid office and campus partners. Program will include but not be limited to paying for a DU education, money management, and student loan repayment. Coordinate, execute, and monitor financial aid study abroad awarding and procedures for compliant and service-driven financial aid study abroad procedures; as necessary, train other staff on study abroad awarding procedures. In cooperation with associate director of financial aid, advising, coordinate file completion strategies especially for targeted recruitment populations. In cooperation with associate director of financial aid, advising, monitor workflow progress for undergraduate applicants and students. Help coordinate and participate in financial aid outreach programming. Provides Professional Advising Services: The Assistant Director works with prospective students and their families, continuing students, and members of the DU community in a personalized way on the financial aid application process, eligibility, need analysis, awards, disbursement, federal/state institutional policy, and the rights and responsibilities of receiving financial aid. The Assistant Director works with DU students to craft a financial plan to make the University of Denver affordable. Requires a thorough knowledge of financial aid topics including: cost of attendance, federal and institutional need analysis, award package, types of aid offered, how to apply for outside scholarships, receiving outside resources, payment options, financing options, selecting a lender, completing loan applications, loan certification, billing, disbursement dates, reapplying for aid, withdrawal, stop-out, re-admit, timelines/deadlines, financial aid policy and procedures, and the responsibilities of receiving financial aid. In addition, the Financial Assistant Director routinely deals with problems and issues of a highly sensitive financial and personal nature, and therefore, and must exhibit independent judgment, tact and diplomacy, maintain strict confidentiality and adhere to FERPA regulations. Determining Financial Aid Eligibility: The Assistant Director assesses a family’s ability to pay for education expenses by evaluating income and assets reported on the FAFSA, CSS PROFILE, federal tax returns, W-2s and other financial documents. The Assistant Director is an expert in the area of need analysis, both federal and institutional methodologies, and must be able to explain complex financial aid calculations and the results and rationale behind financial aid awarding in a simple and easy to understand manner to students and parents. The Assistant Director is routinely responsible for reviewing current financial circumstances of DU families and applying professional judgment for special circumstances appeal cases for which they are assigned. Evaluating and Identifying Issues and Problem Solving Student Applicant Data Conflicts: Problem solving for aid applicants include resolving FAFSA comment codes and rejects, verification and file review, packaging aid revisions, adjusting student budgets, correcting over awards, monitoring students on satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Continuous Professional Development: The Assistant Director must actively keep up to date on state and federal regulations and internal policies and procedures in order to ensure accurate and efficient interpretation of information and to ensure program compliance. He or she must be able to handle numerous complex tasks with attention to detail in a fast-paced environment. The Assistant Director works as a team member with the other Financial Aid staff members to deliver high quality service to students and their families.

Application Instructions

Application Deadline For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) August 15, 2022. Special Instructions Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted. Salary Grade Number: The salary grade for the position is 10. Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $57,000 – $62,000. The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.