Executive Director Financial Aid

Full Sail University; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Full Sail University is seeking an Executive Director of Financial Aid to provide strategic leadership for student financial aid programs and compliance with Title IV requirements. You will work with senior leaders to align aid strategies with enrollment and student success, while driving efficiency and accurate packaging.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree with Master’s preferred and a strong track record in large-scale financial aid operations, data analytics, and NSLDS access.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in related field.
• Progressive leadership experience in financial aid or higher education.
• Experience leading large teams and driving strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for overall financial aid strategy.
• Ensure compliance with federal/state regulations including Title IV.
• Oversee structure, performance, and scalability of the financial aid organization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align aid strategies with enrollment goals.
• Lead data analytics, reporting, and process improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Financial aid

Compliance

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

NSLDS access

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

CampusVue

Microsoft Office

Job description

If you're looking for the chance to learn, grow, and make a contribution to the community, look at employment opportunities with Full Sail University. You'll find your choice of career opportunities, great benefits, an environment that welcomes and values creativity, and a work experience that is both challenging and rewarding!

The Executive Director of Financial Aid provides strategic leadership direction, and oversight for all aspects of student financial aid administration and compliance. This position is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs while supporting the institutional enrollment, retention, and student success objectives.

The Executive Director of Financial Aid reports to the Executive Vice President and serves as a senior leader and Full Sail Ambassador within Financial Aid and collaborates closely with senior leadership, finance, admissions, student affairs, compliance, and academic departments to develop and implement student-centered financial strategies that support institutional growth.

This position is responsible for maintaining compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, including title IV requirements while promoting service quality, fiscal responsibility and continuous operational influence.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Institutional Impact

Provide executive leadership for the overall financial aid strategy, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, enrollment objectives, and student success initiatives. Serve as a senior advisor on matters related to student affordability, funding models, and financial access. Drive innovation and transformation within financial aid operations to improve the student experience and institutional effectiveness. Champion a culture of service excellence, integrity, and accountability across the organization.

Regulatory Oversight & Compliance

Ensure institutional compliance all applicable federal, state, and accreditation regulations governing financial aid programs, including Title IV requirements. Provide executive oversight of policy development, risk management, and audit readiness. Monitor legislative and regulatory changes, assessing impact and guiding institutional response strategies. Maintain a strong compliance framework that mitigates institutional risk while supporting student access.

Operational Excellence & Organizational Leadership

Oversee the performance, structure, and scalability of the financial aid organization to support current and future institutional needs. Lead and develop a high-performing leadership team, fostering engagement, accountability, and professional growth. Establish performance metrics and ensure continuous improvement in service delivery, accuracy, and timeliness. Ensure the effective integration of systems, processes, and technology to support efficient operations. Lead corrective action planning and remediation efforts related to audit findings, compliance concerns or regulatory issues.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

Partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to align financial aid strategies with enrollment, retention, and student success initiatives. Serve as a key institutional representative with external stakeholders, including government agencies, industry associations, and strategic partners. Promote collaboration across departments to deliver a seamless, student-centered experience.

Data Strategy & Continuous Improvement

Leverage data and analytics to inform decision-making, optimize resource allocation, and enhance student outcomes. Establish reporting frameworks to monitor effectiveness, compliance, and student impact. Identify and implement opportunities for process improvement, innovation, and scalability.

Other Responsibilities

Adheres to the policies and procedures of Full Sail University Maintains strict confidentiality of company and personnel information Demonstrates a strong commitment to the mission and values of the organization Adheres to company attendance standards Performs other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

YES NO

If YES, then the below applies in addition to those listed in Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains staff in their department.
• Oversees the schedules and responsibilities of staff in their department.
• Provides constructive and timely staff performance evaluations.
• Follows established guidelines for employee disciplinary action as determined by Full Sail policies and procedures.

Competencies

Demonstrated ability to lead large, complex functions and influence institutional direction. Deep knowledge of financial aid programs, compliance frameworks, and industry best practices. Strong understanding of evolving regulatory environments and risk mitigation. Proven experience leading transformation, scaling operations, and driving continuous improvement. Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills. Ability to translate data insights into strategic actions. Demonstrated expertise in Veterans Educational Benefits and Federal Financial Aid regulations, including needs analysis, packaging principles, and program administration. Ability to obtain and maintain access to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) in accordance with federal guidelines. Proven ability to work autonomously while effectively managing multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Education Leadership or a related discipline. Significant progressive leadership experience in financial aid or a related field within higher education. Demonstrated success in leading large teams, managing complex operations, and driving strategic initiatives.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

N/A

Computer/Equipment Skills

Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, CampusVue) Strong Microsoft Office Suite and presentation skills. Comfortability navigating cloud-based systems and learning new software platforms. Ability to navigate digital communication platforms.

Environmental Factors/Physical Demands

Work is performed in an office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to have the ability to maintain active customer and employee communication; access, input and retrieve information from the computer system; enter alphanumeric data into a computerized system often while listening on the telephone. (May be subject to bending, reaching, kneeling, stooping and lifting up to thirty (30) pounds.)

Full Sail is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Mission People from around the world come to Full Sail University to pursue their educational goals, and they share one thing in common – a passion for a creative future in the entertainment and media industry.

Full Sail’s mission is to provide students with an innovative style of education, delivered by a staff of dedicated individuals, that addresses potential career opportunities available in an ever-growing, constantly evolving industry.

We do this by developing unique curricula that combine elements of creativity, art, business and life skills, technical prowess, and academic achievement. Our education is delivered via immersive teaching methods, both in Full Sail’s real-world production studios and classrooms, as well as through our online learning environment.

Every one of our degree programs is designed to provide students with knowledge and real-world experience that will help them realize their career goals in the entertainment and media industry.

Full Sail’s Unifying Principles At Full Sail, we believe that what we give to each other and our students comes back to each of us individually and to the school as a whole. Therefore, we are totally committed to the individual success of each member of our staff family. As a staff family, we are dedicated to taking a sincere interest in the success of every student and client who comes through our doors