Director of Financial Aid

Director of Financial Aid

The Director of Financial Aid serves as the University's chief financial aid administrator and provides mission-focused strategic leadership for the planning, compliance, and delivery of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Finance, the Director leads the Office of Financial Aid in administering approximately $18 million in annual student financial assistance, ensuring regulatory compliance while advancing the University's mission of supporting student access, enrollment, retention, and success. The Director oversees financial aid strategy for undergraduate and graduate programs, including both on-campus and online learning environments.

This position plays a key leadership role in shaping financial aid policies, optimizing aid packaging strategies, and partnering across the institution to support student-centered service and enrollment objectives.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, service-oriented leader with deep technical expertise in private-sector higher education financial aid administration, along with a strong commitment to GMercyU's mission. The Director of Financial Aid will be expected to promote a high-performing, positive, diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture that values collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.

Essential Functions:

Roles & Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy (30%)

• Provide leadership and strategic vision for the University's Office of Financial Aid.

• Develop and implement financial aid strategies that support enrollment growth, retention, and student success.

• Design and oversee office structure, staffing, and operational workflows to effectively serve traditional, online, and accelerated academic programs.

• Foster a culture of compliance, collaboration, and outstanding customer service within the financial aid team.

• Formulate and oversee University financial aid policies, procedures and operations with the highest ethical and student-centered service standards

• Build and sustain strong, collaborative relationships across the university to understand student and operational needs, align priorities, and deliver high-value services.

• Maintain advanced expertise by monitoring regulatory developments, industry trends, leading practices, and emerging technologies.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and university regulations while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation and assesses the impact of substantive changes in regulations and legislation.

• Ensure compliance with FERPA, data privacy, and information security standards applicable to financial aid and student records.

Financial Aid Administration, Compliance, and Operations (40%)

• Oversee the administration of all federal Title IV, state, institutional, private, and veterans' educational benefits programs.

• Serve as the University's compliance officer regarding financial aid and related matters. Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.

• Maintain the University's eligibility to participate in federal financial aid programs, including management, reapplication, and updates for the Program Participation Agreement and E-APP/E-CAR processes.

• Lead all financial aid-related audits and reviews, including:

• Annual Single Audit

• Federal and state program reviews

• Veterans Affairs program reviews

• Internal compliance audits

• Ensure accurate reporting and timely submission of required documentation to federal and state agencies and other regulatory bodies.

• Oversee the administration and ongoing improvement of financial aid systems and technology used to deliver aid services.

• Manage and optimize the use of the University's ERP system (Colleague) for financial aid operations.

• Maintain accurate and complete financial aid records and conduct internal audits to ensure integrity of award processing.

• Develop, implement, document, and maintain financial aid policies, procedures, and internal controls.

• Ensure timely resolution of audit findings and implementation of corrective actions.

Departmental Management (25%)

• Forecast financial aid budgets and monitor aid expenditures to remain within budget.

• Develop and manage institutional aid packaging strategies aligned with enrollment and retention goals.

• Conduct financial aid data analysis to support decision-making and continuous improvement.

• Evaluate trends and develop recommendations for aid optimization.

• Oversee review and approval of financial aid appeals, including:

• Special circumstances and professional judgments

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals

• Income reduction appeals

• Ensure consistent, equitable, and student-centered resolution of complex financial aid cases.

• Partner closely with campus offices including:

• Admissions

• Registrar

• Student Billing

• Academic Affairs

• Campbell Solution Center (one-stop-shop for integrated student support)

• Reconcile financial aid records with student billing operations.

• Lead the development, refinement, and on-going assessment of financial aid policies, procedures, and internal controls.

The Director supervises all employees within the Office of Financial Aid and is responsible for:

• Hiring, onboarding, and training staff

• Establishing performance expectations and evaluating staff performance

• Assigning and prioritizing work responsibilities

• Fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment

• Ensuring cross-training across financial aid functions

• Providing overall leadership, supervision, & coaching to direct reports in areas of responsibility, including fostering a culture of continuous improvement, service excellence, accountability, inclusion, and professional development.

• Leading and supporting strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects as assigned.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Represent the University in professional financial aid organizations (ex. NASFAA, PASFAA, IFAP notifications) and maintain institutional memberships.

• Ensure staff remain informed of regulatory updates through professional development and training.

• Participate in university recruitment and student engagement events and deliver presentations to prospective students, families, and external partners regarding financial aid programs and policies. These presentations may take place outside normal business hours at events including Open Houses, Accepted Student Days, and Griffin Ready Days.

• Collaborate with campus partners to promote financial literacy initiatives and help reduce federal loan default rates.

• Serve on committees and support campus initiatives that address student basic needs, including coordination with student support programs, such as the University's food pantry, Catherine's Cupboard, and the University's Mercy Center for Service, Spirituality, & Justice, to connect food-insecure students with support.

• Serve on institutional committees supporting enterprise systems, data governance, assessment, accreditation, and strategic initiatives.

• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by the Assistant Vice President for Finance, Vice President for Finance & Administration / CFO and/or President.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in financial aid administration, including supervisory or leadership experience

• Comprehensive knowledge of and experience in implementing federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and compliance requirements

• Experience administering Title IV financial aid programs

• Knowledge of veterans' educational benefits

• Experience with financial aid data analysis, reporting, and compliance oversight

• Strong leadership, organizational, and strategic planning skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across campus departments

• Demonstrated commitment to student-centered service and continuous improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree

• Experience with the Ellucian Colleague ERP system

• Familiarity with federal financial aid systems such as: COD, NSLDS, CPS, IFAP, FSA Partner systems, Eligicert (E-APP), FAFSA Partner Portal, FTI-SAIG Mailbox, AES and GrantUS

• Experience with state financial aid systems such as PHEAA

• Fluency in Spanish

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

Abilities:

• Strategic understanding of the role of financial aid in enrollment management and student success

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Ability to interpret and apply federal regulations and policy guidance

• Experience implementing financial aid technologies and process improvements