Assistant Director, Admissions & Financial Aid

Harvard Graduate School of Education; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard Graduate School of Education seeks an Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid to lead and support admissions and aid workflows for a diverse applicant pool. The role emphasizes evaluation, counseling, and operational systems, with a focus on need analysis and awarding for domestic and international students.

The successful candidate will manage a 300-student caseload, collaborate across HGSE programs, and contribute to recruitment events, data-driven improvements, and

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute recruitment initiatives for a national portfolio.
• Counsel applicants on programs and HGSE offerings; represent HGSE at events.
• Evaluate candidates for admissions across degree programs.
• Manage financial aid processes, counseling, and student accounts.
• Support federal verification, packaging, and systems testing (PowerFAIDS).

Job description

Job Description

The Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid plays a vital dual role within HGSE’s Admissions & Aid team, supporting the development, delivery, and evaluation of strategies and processes that attract, enroll, and support a talented, diverse student body. This position independently manages a range of admissions and financial aid activities, with a strong focus on, application evaluation, financial counseling, awarding, and operational systems support.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

Admissions (30%)

• Develop and execute a portfolio of domestic recruitment initiatives and contribute to the full-cycle admissions process - from marketing and recruitment to yield and matriculation- with a primary focus on experienced professionals across the U.S.


• Counsel and advise prospective students about application processes, degree programs, and HGSE’s offerings; represent HGSE at recruitment events on-campus, off-campus, and virtually.


• Evaluate and recommend candidates for admission using discretion and sound judgment for a portfolio of degree programs.


• Propose and implement innovative recruitment events, contacts, resources, and partnerships; monitor data and trends to assess recruitment and yield efforts and recommend operational improvements.


• Support the Financial Certification process for admitted international students to ensure timely documentation and compliance.

Financial Aid (70%)

• Independently conduct institutional and federal needs analysis and award financial aid by evaluating complex financial information; manage a caseload of approximately 300 students through recruitment, awarding, enrollment, and graduation, including financial counseling and planning.


• Manage financial aid refund and student account processing.


• Assist with management of the Direct Loan program, which includes NSLDS review and SOR processes for part-time students.


• Review appeals and requests for additional aid; communicate outcomes and provide clear guidance to students.


• Manage federal verification and related eligibility resolution processes, including review of conflicting information, documentation requirements, database matches, and other federal student aid eligibility issues; counsel students on requirements and resolve complex cases.


• Assist in developing, testing, and enhancing financial aid management systems (e.g., PowerFAIDS) and integrations with other university systems; analyze and test algorithms and business processes for packaging, compliance, communications, and reporting.


• Manage multiple fellowship programs in parallel with admissions activities, including fund management, recruitment, application, and selection processes; develop and update related policies and workflows. Support annual audit reporting, compliance, quality assurance, and financial aid operations in line with federal, state, and institutional policies.


• Contribute to the development and evaluation of communications strategies and materials related to aid; support students in financial literacy, debt management, and financial planning.


• Assist in training and onboarding of seasonal staff or graduate assistants as needed.