Report to: VP of Enrollment Management and Marketing
Position Summary
The Director of Student Financial Services provides strategic, operational, and regulatory leadership for Elms College's Student Financial Services department, overseeing Financial Aid and Student Accounts. The Director is responsible for ensuring the accurate, compliant, and fiscally responsible administration of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs, as well as effective oversight of student account operations.
The Director serves as the College's senior financial aid administrator and is accountable for financial aid compliance, financial aid budgeting and forecasting, reconciliation, and the responsible stewardship of institutional, federal, and state financial aid resources. The Director leads and develops the Student Financial Services team while fostering a culture of accountability, accuracy, collaboration, and exceptional student service.
Working collaboratively across Enrollment Management, Finance, and other areas of the College, the Director develops strategies that support enrollment, retention, student success, and institutional financial sustainability.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for Student Financial Services, including Financial Aid and Student Accounts, establishing clear priorities, expectations, policies, and standards of accountability.
- Lead, supervise, develop, and evaluate Student Financial Services staff, ensuring appropriate training, cross-training, professional development, and accountability for performance.
- Oversee the administration of all federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs, ensuring funds are awarded, disbursed, reconciled, and reported accurately and in accordance with all applicable requirements.
- Maintain primary responsibility for financial aid regulatory compliance, including Title IV requirements, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4), verification, consumer information requirements, and federal and state reporting.
- Develop, maintain, and enforce comprehensive financial aid policies, procedures, internal controls, and documentation to ensure consistent and compliant administration of financial aid programs.
- Lead preparation for financial aid audits, program reviews, and regulatory inquiries; monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely implementation of required institutional and operational changes.
- Provide leadership and direct oversight of the College's financial aid budget, including annual projections, forecasting, monitoring expenditures and commitments, and identifying and addressing actual or projected budget variances.
- Ensure financial aid commitments remain within approved funding levels and provide College leadership with timely and accurate reporting regarding expenditures, available resources, projected liabilities, and financial risk.
- Oversee the accurate and timely reconciliation of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid funds in collaboration with Finance.
- Partner with Enrollment Management and Finance leadership to develop financial aid strategies that support enrollment, student affordability, net tuition revenue, and institutional financial sustainability.
- Oversee student account operations, including billing, payment plans, accounts receivable, refunds, collections, and reconciliations, in close collaboration with the Finance department.
- Develop coordinated Financial Aid and Student Accounts processes that provide students and families with a seamless, responsive, and student-centered financial services experience.
- Provide strategic analysis related to financial aid awarding, institutional aid, student affordability, and enrollment trends to support institutional decision-making.
- Serve as an escalation point and institutional subject matter expert for complex financial aid, student account, regulatory, and student financial services matters.
- Utilize data and technology to improve operational efficiency, monitor key performance indicators, strengthen compliance, and support strategic decision-making.
- Collaborate cross-divisionally to improve processes, enhance service, and address financial barriers that may affect student enrollment, retention, and persistence.
- Represent Student Financial Services on College committees, at institutional events, and with appropriate external agencies and professional organizations, including some evenings and weekends.
- Maintain current knowledge of financial aid regulations, industry standards, and emerging practices through ongoing professional development.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; master’s degree preferred.
- Progressively responsible experience in higher education financial aid administration, including experience with federal Title IV programs.
- Demonstrated expertise in federal and state financial aid regulations and compliance.
- Demonstrated experience managing financial aid budgets, including forecasting, monitoring expenditures, reconciliation, and financial reporting.
- Supervisory or management experience with demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and hold staff accountable.
- Experience with financial aid management systems, student information systems, and federal financial aid systems and reporting. Experience with Colleague preferred.
- Strong analytical, organizational, written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex priorities with a high degree of accuracy, sound judgment, and attention to detail.
