Financial Aid Director

The College of St. Scholastica; Duluth (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The College of St. Scholastica is seeking a Director of Financial Aid to provide strategic leadership and ensure the timely distribution of financial aid to students. This role requires overseeing operational functions while fostering a student-centered culture.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, extensive experience in financial aid administration, and a proven record in regulatory compliance. This position plays a crucial role within the Enrollment Management leadership team, managing a significant budget and ensuring equitable access to funds.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of experience in a college or university financial aid office.
• Experience administering federal and state financial aid regulations.
• Supervision experience with professional staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for the Financial Aid Office.
• Oversee compliance with financial aid regulations and policies.
• Lead system migration and process improvement initiatives.

Skills

Analytical skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Financial aid systems administration

Job description

Overview

The approximate base compensation range is posted, but the actual offer will reflect our total compensation and benefits package. The offer will be determined by a number of factors including the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, FTE, number of months worked, as well as internal equity among our team.

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Aid provides strategic vision, compliance oversight, and operational leadership for the Financial Aid Office at The College of St. Scholastica. This key leadership role ensures the equitable, accurate, and timely distribution of federal, state, and institutional funds while fostering a supportive, student-centered environment that aligns deeply with the College’s Benedictine values of respect and community.

Serving as a crucial member of the Enrollment Management leadership team, the Director balances dual accountability for rigorous technical compliance and strategic enrollment contribution. This position oversees the full range of financial aid programming for both undergraduate and graduate student populations, optimizing aid packaging to support recruitment, retention, and affordability goals while stewarding tens of millions of dollars in annual student aid.

Reporting Relationships & Scope

• Reports To: Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
• Supervises: Financial aid professional staff, including Associate/Assistant Directors, Financial Aid Counselors, and operations support personnel.
• Budget Management: Oversight of the Financial Aid Office Operating Budget and the stewardship of all annual federal, state, and institutional aid funds.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Enrollment Partnership

• Enrollment Strategy: Serve as a senior member of the Enrollment Management team, contributing financial aid expertise to recruitment and retention strategies across undergraduate, graduate, and targeted student populations.
• Aid Leveraging & Encoura Partnership: Collaborate closely with enrollment leadership and external consulting partners Encoura to analyze first-year discount rates, net tuition revenue, and enrollment outcomes to build and optimize strategic aid packaging models.
• Budget Collaboration: Partner with the Associate VP for Enrollment Management and institutional leadership to establish annual aid budgets, merit scholarship parameters, and need-based aid philosophies.
• Funnel and Yield Management: Partner with Admissions on funnel management, providing timely award data, supporting yield initiatives, and helping to shape clear recruitment messaging around college affordability.
• Committee Service: Serve on college-wide committees and task forces dedicated to student success, retention, data governance, and strategic planning.

Compliance Oversight & Institutional Reporting

• Regulatory Authority: Serve as the primary institutional expert and authority on federal and state financial aid policies, maintaining full compliance with Title IV regulations, FERPA, and Minnesota Office of Higher Education (MOHE) policies.
• Audits & Reconciliation: Lead and coordinate all internal and external compliance reviews, annual audits, and federal program reviews. Implement corrective action plans immediately if deficiencies are identified.
• Mandatory Reporting: Direct the timely preparation and accurate submission of required state and federal reports, including the FISAP, State of Minnesota grant reconciliations, National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) reporting, IPEDS, and NACUBO surveys.
• Policy Maintenance: Ensure Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policies are accurately calculated, updated, consistently applied, and clearly communicated.
• Enrollment Monitoring: Establish protocols for tracking student enrollment changes (withdrawals, leaves of absence) to guarantee compliant award revisions and disbursement timings.

Workday Transition, Systems Management & Operations

• System Migration Leadership: Lead critical financial aid systems management and process improvement initiatives, specifically driving the institutional transition from Banner to Workday Student and managing subsequent system configuration, testing, and optimization.
• Data Integrity: Ensure total data integrity and seamless integration between Workday/Banner, the Slate CRM platform, external lender platforms, and other institutional IT systems.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee the day-to-day operations of the office, monitoring processing volumes, defining operating standards, and ensuring a smooth, accurate timeline for awarding and verification.
• Census Management: Establish protocols for census day processes to ensure student data is fully verified prior to term disbursements.

Team Development & Student-Centered Culture

• Inclusive Leadership: Recruit, supervise, evaluate, and mentor financial aid staff, intentionally fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and positive workplace culture that models Benedictine values.
• Staff Training: Design and execute continuous professional development and training programs regarding changing federal/state regulations, software processes, and premium customer service standards.
• Complex Case Resolution: Serve as the final escalation point for complex financial aid cases, professional judgment determinations, dependency overrides, and financial appeals.
• Transparent Communication: Ensure all student-facing communications—including award letters, verification requests, and general web information—are clear, plain-spoken, empathetic, and easily understood by families.
• Retention Support: Collaborate with academic advisors, student success teams, and the Student Accounts/Billing office to systematically identify and alleviate financial barriers to degree completion.

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.
• Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working within a college or university financial aid office.
• Regulatory Expertise: Minimum of five (5) years of direct experience administering federal and state financial aid regulations, including deep Title IV compliance.
• Supervision: Minimum of three (3) years of direct experience supervising and evaluating professional staff.
• Systems: Demonstrated experience with financial aid system administration, data management, and the database packaging of financial aid awards.
• Competencies: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data for varied audiences; exceptional verbal and written communication skills; strict commitment to equity, access, and student success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Prior experience in a small-to-medium private, liberal arts institution serving both undergraduate and graduate student models.
• Direct experience navigating a Banner-to-Workday system implementation or advanced knowledge of Workday Student financial aid configurations.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating data models related to enrollment management strategy and net revenue modeling.
• Ten (10) or more years of total financial aid or enrollment management experience.
• Active membership and/or leadership roles in professional associations such as NASFAA or MASFAA.