"Director of Financial Aid"

Director of Financial Aid

Company:
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

Job Location:

Category:
Financial Aid

Type:
Full-Time

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Financial Aid for the Council for Community and Technical College Education is responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising the administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs across multiple community and technical colleges. This includes overseeing staff, managing office procedures, and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations. The Director leads the transition of contractual agreements between sponsoring institutions and the colleges, establishes institutional policies for distributing campus-based aid, and maintains accurate records for all financial aid activities.

Classification: Full Time, Non-Classified, Exempt, Benefits-Eligible

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Financial Aid Program Administration

This role ensures the accurate distribution of Pell Grant funds and compliance with verification regulations, as well as the certification and management of federally guaranteed student loans, including default management and required interviews. The Director authorizes payments to students, maintains internal accounting records, and manages the computerized database (BANNER), including programming and testing. Constructing student expense budgets, monitoring academic progress in accordance with federal and institutional policies, assisting students in completion of financial aid forms and loan applications, reviewing accuracy of processed application forms and accuracy to determine student’s needs, and attending financial aid meetings and workshops are also key responsibilities.

Policy, Compliance, and Reporting

The Director develops and recommends institutional policies, reviews processed application forms for accuracy and stays current with federal and state regulations by reviewing manuals, memoranda, newsletters, and the Federal Register. The position prepares and supervises the preparation of various reports, including Institutional Payment Summary reports for the Pell Grant program, loan enrollment verification reports, the annual Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate, and the annual HEPC/WVCCTCE Data Base Report. The Director also works with institutional staff on annual independent audits and the development of default management plans. Supervises preparation of forms regarding student financial aid eligibility including Financial Aid Transcripts for other colleges, West Virginia Department of Vocational Rehabilitation requests, Department of Education.

Staff Supervision and Training

Supervising personnel is a major component of this role, including interviewing, hiring, training, planning, assigning, and directing work, as well as addressing complaints and resolving problems. The Director provides direct training or arranges training opportunities for financial aid staff, assigns and monitors work, and visits campuses at least once per semester to meet with staff.

Liaison and Collaboration

Acting as chief liaison to state and federal agencies, other colleges, and schools, the Director verifies state financial aid rosters and reconciliation and supervises the preparation of forms regarding student financial aid eligibility for various agencies. The Director also serves as the primary contact for the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Expert knowledge of federal and state financial aid programs
• Administration of financial aid programs including supervision and training of staff
• Guidance/counseling in individual and group situations
• Organizational skills to cope with voluminous records and ability to provide supervision and guidance to multiple colleges
• Management skills to build a responsible and efficient work team
• Interpretive skills to apply constantly changing federal regulations
• Communication and counseling skills to elicit personal information in highly emotional, stressful situations
• BANNER or related type of student software experience

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Student Services, Student Personnel, or related field and four years recent relevant work experience are required.

Master’s degree in Student Services, Business or related field with two years of recent relevant experience is preferred.

Closing Date: December 1, 2025

Application Process: In addition to filling out the online application, interested applicants are required to submit a letter of interest and contact information for three professional references; attaching a resume is optional.

IMPORTANT: Your eligible score will be based on information provided in your application; therefore, make sure the work experience section in your application is detailed and complete.

Final candidates are subject to employment and credential verification, as well as reference and background checks.

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