Assistant Director, Financial Aid

Job Title

Assistant Director, Financial Aid

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Scholarships And Financial Aid

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents

& lived experience. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who we are  

The mission of Scholarships & Financial Aid is to provide students and their families with information and financial resources to attend Texas A&M University, along with support programs that promote higher education and developmental opportunities. We administer scholarships and financial aid, which include the following programs:  grants, student loans, student employment, veteran educational benefits, athletic aid coordination, short-term loans, and emergency tuition and fee loans. In addition our office provides advising on the programs listed above. Our office also assist students in gaining financial literacy knowledge through our Money Education Center. Our office is responsible for processing student aid and veteran educational benefits for College Station, Galveston, all Health Science Center sites and Qatar which totaled approximately $836 million in financial aid assistance for the prior academic year.

What we want

Scholarships & Financial Aid is seeking an Assistant Director of Compliance to lead the day-to-day operations of a team of dedicated professionals within our office. We are looking for a passionate, critical thinking, and driven individual who will provide oversight for compliance across the office, as well as direct oversight of Return to Title IV Funds calculations and course program of study (CPOS). The Assistant Director of Compliance will be a key member of our leadership team as well as will work closely with our IT staff to help create efficiencies and automation in processes.
The successful candidate enjoys leading initiatives and has a positive attitude. Time management, flexibility, and the ability to work as a motivated self-starter are all crucial for success in this position. If this description sounds appealing to you, we invite you to apply to be considered for this opportunity.

What you need to know

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate to selected hire’s qualifications.

Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended.

Other Requirements and Factors: Experience developing and implementing methods and practices that ensure a multicultural environment and student body. Experience with student loan process, scholarships, imaging, workflow, and project management. Some evening and weekend work is required. Some degree of travel is required. Must comply with Texas A&M System Policy 07.02 - Texas Higher Education Fair Lending Practices. Must be in good standing on all Federal Student Loans. The U.S. Dept. of Education will not grant access to student loan data for any individual who is in default status. Access to such information is a necessity for this position. Must be able to rectify default status within three months of employment. Good standing must be maintained for continued employment.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Six years of progressively responsible experience in a professional or administrative capacity in student financial aid, including some supervisory experience. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of student financial aid processes.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work well with students and parents. 

• Attention to detail and ability solve complex problems.

• Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs.

• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

• Knowledge of Title IV regulations, State Aid Programs; familiarity with state and federal financial aid reporting requirements.

• Working knowledge of standard office software.

• Must have good verbal and written communication skills.

• Relate well with various student/parent populations as well as with staff in the department, other offices, and partners/volunteers.

• Maintain integrity in a security sensitive environment.

• Must have a student service-oriented approach to and philosophy on financial aid administration. Must be literate in the English language and able to comprehend, give, and follow both written and verbal instructions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Five years progressively responsible financial aid.

• 2-5 years working with compliance in financial aid in a medium to large institution of higher education.

• Experience with US Dept. of Education s Policies and regulations relating for financial aid.

• Ability to and experience with developing policies and procedures manuals.

• Knowledge of Banner.

• Advanced word processing skills. Skills relating to auditing of student financial aid files.

Essential Duties/Tasks

• COMPLIANCE - Ensures that the administration of financial aid programs is consistent with the laws, regulations, and policies governing their administration and coordinates appropriate and timely communication to staff, through knowledge of processes and procedures. Maintains knowledge of Federal, State, and institutional regulations, records retention, and financial aid information to ensure departmental compliance. Performs review of 100% of all R2T4 calculations to ensure accuracy and minimize potential audit findings in this area.  Reviews and updates consumer information requirements, working with Risk and Compliance and with other areas on campus who must adhere to Consumer Information regulations. Reviews proposed changes to federal or state regulations and prepares responses to Notices of Proposed Rule Makings (NPRM) as appropriate. Creates proposed policies and procedures and assists with effective implementation of those policies and procedures. Advises the management team on opportunities for improving compliance and reducing risks associated with the delivery of financial aid, including the development of programs at branch campuses. Performs and will oversee internal audits (quality checks) on various programs/processes to ensure we are maintaining compliance (e.g. verification, professional judgment, etc.). Provides knowledge and answers questions, helps develops the process and responses to departments/colleges as needed.

• POLICIES & PROCEDURES - Develops and maintains the department's Policies and Procedures manual (PPM), coordinating with the management staff. Leads and directs PPM updates and any related dissemination of information. Ensures student, university, and system rules and standard administrative procedures relating to Scholarships & Financial Aid are updated as needed. Reviews policies and procedures to effect continuous improvement changes. Confers and collaborates within the department, university, and financial aid industry to ensure TAMU is meeting all requirements and to identify ways to improve compliance. Drafts policies based on new regulations or state statues related to aid programs, revises current policies based on changes in regulations or interpretations of regulations.

• AUDITS - Assists with annual federal audit conducted on Federal Programs. Serves as the secondary point of contact with auditors for the annual federal Program audit. Ensures timely response to auditor’s request for access, to data, to questions they have throughout the audit process. Assists with  draft responses from management on any findings for review by management. Coordinates State audit on State aid programs; provides same type of support for auditors for these audits that is provided for the Federal Programs audit. Reviews program audits and monitors implementation of appropriate actions to correct any deficiencies that were noted. Ensures that we implement to correct deficiencies going forward. Reviews audit reports from other institutions and guidance from NASFAA or the Department of Education to mitigate risks of noncompliance. Performs monthly internal quality checks on financial aid programs.

• LEADERSHIP - Provides leadership to all staff in the maintenance and management of policies, procedures, and regulations regarding R2T4, begin attendance, and course program of study. Provides leadership with the coordination of efforts between various areas of the department to ensure compliance and quality standards are developed and understood. Assists in the establishing and development of both long- and short-range goals in student financial aid. Provides leadership and guidance to departmental working groups as applicable. May lead groups. Provides leadership by serving in state, regional, and national associations. May present at conferences on pertinent information regarding compliance in the financial aid office.

• GENERAL- Assists other staff members with special events and programs. Will work with training specialist in identifying and developing training needs related to compliance, the Policies and Procedures Manual and in general compliance of aid programs via training of staff. Works on special projects as assigned by management.

Is this a supervisory position that has the authority to hire employees or whose recommendations for hiring, termination or other change of employment status are given strong consideration?

Yes

Employees Supervised:

M15911 Financial Aid Advisor III, Financial Aid Advisor I

Why Texas A&M University? 

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes. 

• Health , dental , vision , life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays 
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave  and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatically enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas 
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more 
• Employee Tuition Assistance and Educational Release time   for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee

 

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.