Assistant Director Of Financial Aid - Onondaga Community College

Job Description:

The Assistant Director of Financial aid manages the daily administration of Federal, State, and institutional financial aid processes. The Assistant Director determines eligibility for awards, performs and exercises professional judgment, and is one of the primary sources of financial aid information and problem-solving to prospective and/or current students, parents, and families regarding the availability of financial assistance.

Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, the Assistant Director is responsible for counseling and advising students and parents about student finance resources and application procedures. The Assistant Director is also responsible for providing specific financial aid support and training to help meet objectives for recruitment and retention.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Performs all financial aid functions necessary to deliver financial aid to students including needs analysis, verification, packaging full and part-time students, etc.

• Administers the Federal Pell Grant and Direct Loan programs with emphasis on certification of eligibility for disbursement, reconciliation with COD, and timely submission of origination and disbursement records.

• Review requests for student special circumstances (including professional judgments, appeals, dependency overrides, etc.) and activities associated with these extremely important requests. Provides the necessary updates to student FAFSA records in conjunction with Title IV Professional Judgment regulations from the Federal Government.

• Oversees the certification and transmittal of New York State financial aid programs including Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and New York State Scholarships, including the oversight of weekly remittance advice, month-end reporting, and yearly reconciliations of awards as necessary and appropriate.

• Participates in the review and determination of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) evaluation and appeals.

• Administers the federal work-study program; maintains student data concerning job placement and earnings; communicates with campus departments regarding students' earning limits, etc.

• Exchange highly regulated Federal student financial aid data with Title IV Application Systems, including Common Origination and Delivery (COD) and Central Processing System (CPS).

• Responsible for FAFSA verification and serves as the primary point of contact for verification issues including coordination verification activities with outside vendor.

• Oversees and assigns, scholarship aid to individual students as recipients are identified through Enrollment Management, the OCC Foundation, academic departments, and/or other sources.

• Trains, supervises and evaluates personnel within the Financial Aid Department. Manages the scheduling and assignment of work to staff as necessary and appropriate.

• Provides outreach and support to students, families, and college colleagues related to financial aid including group presentations, hands-on financial aid application completion workshops, one-on-one financial aid counseling, information requests from campus constituents, and financial literacy.

• Provides accurate information effectively to standard questions related to enrollment services, advising, financial aid, student accounts, and related issues.

• Supports campus outreach programs by offering financial aid presentations on and off campus to drive FAFSA completion and discuss important financial preparation for education.

• Collaborates with the Financial Aid leadership team to set objectives and goals for the Financial Aid Office; seeks continuous improvement of current processes to serve students effectively in meeting their educational goals.

• Evening and weekend work is required to support various Financial Aid and Enrollment events at peak times and occasionally throughout the year.

• Performs other assignments as requested within the scope of the position.

Requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or foreign equivalency.

• A minimum of 6 years of experience; 4 of which should be administrative experience, with a minimum of 2 years in a supervisory capacity and 2 or more years working in financial aid, or a highly regulated environment.

• Experience working in a customer service role.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's Degree from an accredited college or university or foreign equivalency.

• Experience working in a higher education environment.

• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.

• Bilingual in English and Spanish; English and another language will also be considered.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to act and rely on professional judgment to make timely decisions.

• Knowledge of issues about student service/enrollment functions at a higher education institution.

• Ability to learn about and use the tools necessary to support the financial aid needs of students.

• Ability to work independently, effectively, and efficiently.

• Demonstrated skill and ability with technology, including software applications.

• Ability to effectively work with others to create a welcoming and supportive environment for students.

• Ability to work efficiently in a high-demand, team-oriented, and fast-paced environment.

• Knowledge of conflict resolution techniques and the ability to manage stressful situations.

• Ability to manage and direct projects.

• Commitment to the public education mission of a community college.

Additional Information:

Onondaga Community College offers an excellent benefit program including health, dental and vision. Qualified domestic partners are eligible to participate. This position also offers employee enrollment in the NYS Retirement System.

NEW salary: Range is $53,240-66,550 depending on relevant experience.

Official transcripts are required at time of hire. A post-offer background screening will be conducted.

Please contact hr@sunyocc.edu if you have questions.

Application Instructions:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to application.