Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Position Title:

Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Location:

Big Rapids (Main Campus)

Department:

61300 - Financial Aid

Advertised Salary:

$65,000 - $67,000 Salary commensurate with education, experiences, and other requirements.

Benefits:
Comprehensive benefits package (health care, vacation, etc.). Please see the following link for a list of benefits offered with this position.

Admin / Admin Temp Benefit Plans

FLSA:

Exempt

Temporary/Continuing: 

Continuing

Part-Time/Full-Time:

Full-Time

Union Group:

N/A

Term of Position:

12 Month

At Will/Just Cause:

At Will

Summary of Position:

• Provide expert financial aid counseling to campus constituents and office staff, including appropriate information on aid eligibility, debt management, cost of attendance at Ferris State University and more. 
• Maintain expert knowledge concerning the regulatory governance of institutional, state, and federal financial aid programs, with an ability to convey complex financial aid concepts to a diverse campus population from prospective students to executive leadership. 
• Research, develop and manage policies and processes designed to ensure the effective distribution of financial resources, leveraging efficiencies that minimize underutilization of funds and maximize student recruitment, retention, and success. 
• Troubleshoot difficult awarding scenarios and provide equitable alternatives and solutions, including approving fund exception requests or additional funding requests with budget oversight.

Position Type:

Staff

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.

Required Work Experience:

• One year of full-time experience in Financial Aid, in a higher education setting.
• Experience with expediting complex Financial Aid initiatives, including analysis and reporting of financial information.
• Experience communicating effectively with a diverse constituency.
• Experience exercising effective professional judgment.

Required Licenses and Certifications:

Physical Demands:

• Office Environment
• Moving
• Reaching
• Sitting
• Twisting
• Repetitive movement

Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered:

• Master's Degree
• Progressively responsible experience in a Financial Aid Office 
• Supervisory experience
• Experience with Banner Software 

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Oversee and manage financial aid programs with expert knowledge of current and changing federal and state regulations with emphasis on interpreting and implementing requirements, while also maintaining institutional goals and objectives. 
• Actively seek out and engage in training and professional development opportunities designed to maintain in-depth familiarity and understanding of the FSA handbook.
• Leverage NASFAA membership and its available resources to remain familiar with current and future regulatory changes, trends, and best practices and disseminate information to office staff through effective communication and training. 
• Demonstrate an ability to translate complex financial aid regulations to a diverse constituency, including students, parents, faculty, staff, and community members. 
• Provide professional guidance on all aspects of financial aid, determining financial need and student eligibility for the issuance of all forms of aid, including (but not limited to) scholarships, grants, loans, work study and more. 
• Develop and update critical technical processes, policy, and procedures, relative to new and existing financial aid programs; as well as the implementation of these processes, including staff training, review, and assessment of outcomes to ensure program compliance. 
• Demonstrates an understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in working relationships with students, faculty, staff and community members.
• Participate in mission-critical recruitment and retention efforts including the coordination of written financial aid materials (including emails, brochures, handouts, presentations, and web content) and management of office participation in internal and external recruitment and retention events. 
• Train, direct and supervise work of others within the Financial Aid Office while providing adequate office staffing and support that may include answering phones, responding to emails, and ensuring front desk coverage during peak times to maintain excellent customer service. 
• Provide expert counseling to students and parents regarding aid eligibility, application procedures and more through established and emerging modes of communication, including; but not limited to, in-person/one-on-one, phone calls, email, virtual appointments and presentations, in-person/large group presentations, web-based content delivery, and more.
• Present financial aid information programs, both on-and-off-campus, including evening and weekend presentations (e.g., recruiting events, financial aid nights, and orientation). 
• Participate in/facilitate, and manage intradepartmental initiatives with key strategic partners across campus, include; but not limited to, University Advancement & Marketing, Student Employment, Student Financial Services, Academic Colleges, Athletics, and more. 
• Participate in/facilitate, and manage, strategic planning, program oversight and implementation, information exchange with state and federal agencies governing financial aid programs, such as; Michigan Scholarships and Grants portal (MiSSG) for the Michigan Tuition Incentive Program, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, the Michigan Future Educators Fellowship, and more. 
• Perform regular audits that may include; review of donor scholarships to ensure the appropriate interpretation of donor intent in all application, award, and gratitude processes. State and Federal aid programs to ensure that the University policies, processes, and aid distribution complies with regulatory governance. Institutional aid processes and distribution. 
• Utilize financial aid expertise to propose, implement, oversee, and disseminate policies and processes that govern the distribution of aid to university leadership, Colleges, Departments, faculty, staff, and students. 
• Develop and implement processes and ongoing training initiatives for campus constituents including; internal office staff while seeking out new financial aid opportunities and/or improved processes related to student financial aid administration. 
• Ability to oversee, reconcile and manage, in conjunction, with pertinent offices and external agencies, accounts more than $1M, ensuring that funds are distributed in accordance with all institutional, state, and federal regulations. 
• Implement and manage university-wide systems, such as; the donor scholarship application portal or financial aid web page, including user training, troubleshooting, awareness, and communication efforts to all relevant constituencies. 
• Provide appropriate reporting of account balances and spending, historical or forecasted trends, statistical analysis and more to the highest levels of university leadership up to and including the Board of Trustees and Office of the President, in addition to relevant state or federal agencies. 
• Serve on FAO leadership team and enrollment management team and consult on institutional aid program eligibility, making recommendations toward achieving desired student enrollment goals.
• Support, promote, and develop University student enrollment and retention initiatives.
• Maintains confidentiality of sensitive records and information in accordance with FERPA.
• Any other duties assigned within the position classification area.

Marginal Duties/Responsibilities:

• Reports to the Director of Financial Aid
• Attend meetings and serve on committees at the discretion of the Director.
• May be required to work some evenings and/or weekends. 
• Some travel required.

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated commitment, experience and understanding for diversity, equity and inclusion. 
• High level of comfort working with technical systems and software applications to investigate, troubleshoot and resolve technical discrepancies in the issuance and distribution of aid. 
• Demonstrate the ability to engage in difficult conversations with students and their families, with a particular focus on de-escalation and expectation-setting. 
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with an ability to convey an appropriate amount of information to a diverse constituency of students, faculty, staff, executive leadership, and community members in a professional manner. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and departments across the institution as well as external contracts.
• Exercise professional judgment, in accordance with federal, state and institutional financial aid regulations, in an equitable and consistent matter as it relates to changing student’s cost of attendance, changing dependency status, or altering financial aid data due to special circumstances.
• Demonstrate and ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously with a high level of organization and attention to detail. 
• Ability to apply analytical and problem-solving skills to a wide variety of financial situations. 
• Perform various mathematical computations with accuracy. 
• Possess and maintain current, thorough knowledge of all aspects of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs and operations, as well as, related policies and regulations that affect those programs. 
• Commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive campus environment.

Required Documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Unofficial Transcript 1

Optional Documents:

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Unofficial Transcript 1 (REQUIRED): Applicants must attach a copy of unofficial transcript of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.

Transcript must include: Institution name, applicant name, date degree attained, degree awarded. Finalist will be required to submit an official transcript.

Initial Application Review Date:
 

March 10, 2025

Open Until Position is Filled?:

Yes

Posting Close Date:
 

EEO Statement:

Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence.  Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at ferris.edu. The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University’s Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement.