Assistant Director Of Financial Aid Services

About Us

Howard Community College (HCC) is an exciting place to work, learn, and grow! We are proud to have received the Great Colleges to Work For honor for 12 consecutive years, 2009-2020.

Howard Community College values diversity among its faculty, staff and student population. We are an innovative institution that is committed to responding to the ever-changing needs and interests of a diverse and dynamic community. No matter where you want to go in your career, you can get there from here!

Position Title Assistant Director of Financial Aid Services FLSA FT/PT Full Time Hours Per Week 37.5 Work Schedule Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00; Occasional evenings Grade 16 Minimum Compensation $70,358 General Responsibilities

This position supervises the team of financial aid counselors who are responsible for determining student eligibility, completing verification of student files, and awarding students. The assistant director possesses comprehensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, as well as institutional policies and procedures, and serves as an institutional spokesperson on issues related to the financing of a higher education at Howard Community College. Under the supervision of the director, this position is critical to the college's compliance with federal Title IV laws and regulations, state laws, and institutional policy. Oversees the unit's critical outreach efforts to increase prospective and current student awareness of and accessibility to all forms of financial aid and scholarships. Collaborates closely with other college units, particularly the Office of Admissions and the Recruitment Office, to reach out to parents, high school personnel and community partners and organizations regarding the availability of financial aid and scholarships. Develops outreach methods and processes that facilitate the financial aid application process, with a special focus on special events and presentations for the Howard County community and elsewhere as appropriate and requested. This position also works closely with other college units such as Finance to meet mandated regulations and provide outstanding customer service to all college constituencies administers the office's daily functions, including application processing, outreach, customer service, special problems and circumstances, verification processes, Pell Grant reconciliation as needed, reporting, etc. Assists the director and other unit administrators in fulfilling unit responsibilities for compliance with all federal, state and institutional regulations, policies and procedures related to the administration of financial aid as well as ensuring the institution fulfills all Title IV compliance requirements. Assists the director with strategic planning; budget development; hiring and performance management, staff development; enrollment management functions, especially those related to access and affordability, emergency preparedness; and statistical data management, including outcomes assessment. Develops and implements programs and process improvements as they relate to the financial aid counseling staff, other aspects of customer service and outreach. Assist with the development of unit publications and informational materials, and web content related to student eligibility and outreach responsibilities. Ensures the integrity of all financial aid records as it relates to both FERPA and Red Flags requirements. Assist with the development of training and information modules for students and staff. Manages counselors' tasks and responsibilities. Disseminates weekly processing assignments; works collaboratively with other financial aid leadership to ensure that all daily operations as they relate to the counseling staff are reviewed on an ongoing basis as it impacts workflow, processing and student services. Works closely with both Assistant Directors as appropriate in ensuring that students are eligible for the awards that they receive, that aid is processed, and to provide support as appropriate to the assistant directors in reconciling the aid programs. Assist the Director as needed by providing data for the completion of federal, state and institutional reports, including but not limited to the annual FISAP and FAIS reports. Represents the director and the unit on various committees and teams. It involves considerable knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of areas and is critical to enrollment, retention, general student access for needy students, and compliance with numerous federal and state laws and regulations.

Work Performed

• Assists the director with strategic planning and budgeting processes.

• Assists the financial aid leadership team with planning for system set up, and development and implementation of policy and procedure to ensure compliance with federal and state laws.

• Assists with testing patches to Colleague software as needed.

• Oversees electronic data communications with the U.S. Department of Education as it relates to the daily operation of FAFSA applications and corrections.

• Oversees all aspects of the unit's operations in the director's absence.

• Oversees all aspects of student eligibility, including verification, resolving C flags as reported from the USDOE, online processing, all related record keeping, and student notification.

• Supervises the FAS counselors.

• Monitors the day-to-day balances of specific federal, state and institutional awards to ensure spending stays within office targets and budgets.

• Reviews, corrects and certifies all file information for disbursement or awards and ensures that all information entered into the student information system (Colleague) is accurate and complete and meets all federal regulations.

• Administers the financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress program as it relates to the appeals process.

• Coordinates ongoing staff training programs and new staff training as well as assists the director with the development of broader professional training.

• Assists the director with providing outreach to other college units regarding changes to federal and state laws, regulations and programs as appropriate.

• Administers outreach efforts for the unit including but not limited to MHEC requests, Howard County requests, college unit requests, and other request as received by constituents.

• Serves on various committees across campus to ensure that federal regulations and expectations are met by the college and that the needs of financial aid students and the impact of various college programs, policies and procedures for this population are considered.

• Works with other Enrollment Services units, the Finance Office, Faculty and other college units, as appropriate, to resolve student issues.

• Oversees the counseling caseload and advises students, perspective students, and parents on all aspects of student eligibility.

• Assists the director with the development and implementation of a unit outreach plan including, but not limited to, financial aid workshops, information sessions, paying for college sessions and other programs, such as the "Money Matters" Program, for internal and external constituencies.

• Assists the director with reviewing, interpreting, and implementing new federal and state regulations.

• Maintains memberships and participates actively in appropriate organizations and attends conferences and regular training sessions.

• Collaborates closely with the director on overseeing all aspects and responsibilities of all other staff positions.

• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Education Required Bachelor's degree Minimum Number of Years Experience Required 2 Other Knowledge Required Working Conditions Supervisory Postion? Yes Division Enrollment Services (Div) Department Financial Aid Services