Financial Aid Specialist (Assistant Director of Financial Aid)

The CUNY School of Law is the premier public interest law school in the country. Founded in 1983, we train lawyers to serve historically underrepresented communities and work towards greater diversity in the legal profession. Our motto, "law in the service of human needs," infuses everything we do. We are the most diverse law school on the East Coast, and one of the top law schools in the country for clinical practice.

The Assistant Director of Financial Aid supports the administration of a comprehensive financial aid program, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations. This role places particular emphasis on oversight and management of the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program and Veterans’ Educational Benefits, while contributing broadly to all aspects of financial aid operations.

In addition to the position summary and the CUNY Title Overview, other key duties include, but are not limited to the following:

Key Responsibilities:

• Federal Work Study Program Management
  • Administer and oversee all aspects of the Federal Work Study (FWS) program, including student eligibility, job placements, payroll coordination and allocation monitoring
  • Develop and maintain partnerships with on-campus departments and eligible off-campus community service employers
  • Ensure compliance with federal regulations and institutional polices governing FWS
• Veterans’ Benefit Administration
  • Serve as a School Certifying Official (SCO) or liaison for VA educational benefits (e.g., GI Bill programs)
  • Certify student enrollment and monitor compliance with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requirements
  • Advise student veterans on benefit eligibility, processes, and academic progress requirements
• General Financial Aid Administration
  • Counsel students on financial aid options, including federal and state aid, scholarships, and loan programs
  • Review and verify financial aid applications, resolve discrepancies, and ensure timely awarding
  • Support packaging and disbursement processes using institutional systems
  • Assists in maintaining records on cohort default rates, student debt, and borrowing
• Compliance and Reporting
  • Maintain knowledge of federal regulations under Title IV programs
  • Assist with audits, program reviews, and required reporting
  • Assists with compiling records for bar grant and law tuition waiver programs
  • Assists in the preparation, review and timely submission of required annual reports for the American Bar Association (ABA), Middlestates, and for the State and Federal government
  • Develop and document policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance
• Student Support and Outreach
  • Provide individualized counseling to a diverse student population, including non-traditional and public interest oriented law students
  • Conduct financial literacy workshops and presentations - working within CUNY, CUNY Law, and AccessLex
  • Conducting specialized financial aid advisement to students in the Pipeline to Justice Program. The Pipeline program offers access to legal education to those from communities underrepresented in the legal profession
  • Manages the consortium agreement processes; works closely with representatives from other institutions, communicates with other Registrar Offices and adjusting aid packages appropriately
  • Collaborate with campus partners to support student success and retention
• Supervision and Operations
  • Supervise support staff and/or student employees as assigned
  • Contribute to office workflow improvements and cross training efforts
  • Serve as a key resource within the office for FWS and Veterans’ Benefits

Like other staff in the Law School, you are subject to the same in-person requirements, which entail a minimum of 80% in-person on-campus presence over two weeks. This requirement for in-person work may be higher than 80% based on departmental and divisional needs.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree and four years' related experience required.

PREFERRED: The ideal candidate should have:

• Bachelor’s Degree and three to five years’ experience in student financial aid/assistance in a higher education setting
• Demonstrated experience with Federal Work Study and/or Veterans’ Educational Benefits strongly preferred
• Knowledge offederal and state financial aid regulations and processes.
• Strong organizational,analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• High level of confidentiality and commitment to student services.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skillsand the ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Proficient in the use of both academic and financial systems, databases, and programs, plus Microsoft Office 365 programs, and remote/virtual meeting/conferencing and collaboration tools (MS Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Skype, etc.)

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Administers and supervises financial aid programs and operations.

• Reviews contracts, disbursements, tuition and fees; validates student eligibility for various programs
• Administers, monitors and troubleshoots CUNY financial aid systems as well as Federal and NY State systems in order to ensure integrity of student databases and timely and accurate delivery of funds
• Assists CUNY staff, applicants, and students/families with advice on financial aid issues and eligibility
• May review and reconcile student payroll processing
• Represents the Financial Aid function at Admissions events; works with academic departments as well as Bursar, Registrar, Admissions and Computing offices to assure staff understand and implement financial aid processes correctly
• Assists in the development and evaluation of Admissions processes
• Prepares documentation, instructions, and materials in various media to support financial aid activities
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title Name: Financial Aid Specialist

CUNY TITLE Higher Education Assistant

FLSA Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$74,490-$79,958 Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.