Manager, Financial Aid

academyofartuniversity; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k options

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Paid sick leave

Commuter benefit

Tuition waiver

Job summary

Academy of Art University is seeking a Manager of Financial Aid to oversee the financial status of student loan applications, FAFSA completion, and gap funding. You will mentor Financial Aid Representatives, supervise, and ensure timely financial planning for students throughout their program.

The role requires six years in financial aid, strong data-analysis, and excellent communication. The position includes benefits and may offer some remote work from designated locations in the contiguous US.

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of federal, state and financial aid programs is required.
• Proven ability to communicate complex financial aid information to students and families.
• Six years of Financial Aid experience, preferably in higher education.
• Ability to collect and analyze data and communicate clearly with diverse populations.
• Experience leading diverse teams, training and mentoring to achieve goals.
• Strong problem solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Track financial status of new domestic students, FAFSA completion, gap funding and file completion.
• Supervise Financial Aid Representatives to ensure portfolio completion.
• Ensure new students are financially planned for the academic year and program.
• Counsel students on financial aid portions and loan limits.
• Manage the financial aid inbox and hotline for inquiries.
• Maintain a portfolio of students and monitor FAFSA and funding status.
• Assist with special events (Open Studio, fashion show openings, etc.).
• Lead entrance loan counseling at financial aid orientation each semester.
• Facilitate financial aid workshops and chats.
• Assist with Transfer Monitor List and Duplicate Borrower Report.
• Assist Admissions with financial exceptions and operations of the financial aid office.
• Support training of new Financial Aid Representatives and new hire training.
• Update financial aid documents, intranet, internet and training materials.

Skills

Financial aid knowledge

Data analysis

Team leadership

Communication skills

Problem solving

Pressure management

Interpersonal skills

Policy interpretation

Job description

Driven. Engaging. Innovative. Do these words motivate you? If so, then we want to talk with you. Academy of Art University offers a rewarding employment experience for those who excel in a dynamic environment and who can consistently deliver high-caliber customer service. We thrive on ingenuity and pursue ideas every day that lead to extraordinary opportunities for tomorrow.

The Manager, Financial Aid is responsible for consistently tracking the financial status of financial student loan applications, including FAFSA, Completion of Financial Aid paperwork and resolving any gap funding. The successful candidate will have experience managing the performance of the Financial Aid team. This includes communicating departmental objectives, coaching on work performance standards and monitoring progress to ensure operational goals are achieved.

Responsibilities

• Track the financial status of all new domestic students, registered students and applicants including:
• Report to the Associate Director, Student Financial Services on the financial status of all new domestic students including, FAFSA completion, gap funding, and file completion
• Supervise Financial Aid Representatives for domestic students to ensure that their portfolio of students have completed the financial aid process and have been provided with any necessary gap funding information
• Ensure that new students are financially planned for the academic year and throughout their entire program
• Ensure that students receiving financial aid receive counseling regarding the financial portion of their program plan and their aggregate federal student loan and Pell grant limits
• Manage emails from the general financial aid inbox
• Manage the new student financial aid hotline, and hunt lines for new students inquiring about status of their financial aid file or any other financial aid questions (i.e., CMD referrals)
• Maintain a portfolio of students and track the financial status of each student including, FAFSA completion, gap funding, and file completion
• Assist with special events (i.e., Open Studio, Fashion Show Open House, Spring Show Open House, etc.) throughout the year
• Lead entrance loan counseling at the financial aid orientation for new students prior to start of each semester
• Facilitate Academy financial aid workshops and financial aid chats
• Assist with Transfer Monitor List and Duplicate Borrower Report
• Assist Admissions with financial exceptions (i.e., early refunds, registration fee, etc.)
• Assist with the operations of the financial aid office but are not limited to move/maintenance requests, equipment issues, ergonomic request, and schedules
• Assist with training new Financial Aid Representatives and the Financial Aid portion of Admissions new hire training
• Assist with updating financial aid documents, intranet, internet, and new hire training manual
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Director, Student Financial Services and Executive Vice President of Financial Aid & Compliance.

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of federal, state and financial aid programs is required.
• Proven experience communicating complex financial aid information to students and families.
• Six years Financial Aid experience required, preferably in higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to collect and analyze data, communicate clearly, and use independent and appropriate judgement with a diverse client population.
• P roven experience in leading diverse teams, as well as training, coaching, mentoring to ensure operational goals are achieved.
• Effective problem solver and troubleshooter.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently under pressure with tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills

Benefits

• Academy of Art University offers full-time employees health insurance, 401k options, paid vacation based on years of service (15 days' accrual at start), paid holidays, paid sick leave and a commuter benefit program. The Academy also offers full-time employees an opportunity to take one undergraduate course tuition free each semester.

Compensation

$65,000.00 - $75,000.00 annually Based on experience and location

Application Deadline

November 9, 2026

Location

Academy of Art University is based solely in San Francisco, California. This job opportunity may be available for remote work from a predesignated location within the contiguous United States.

Academy of Art University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered regardless of age, Aids or HIV positive status, marital status, domestic partnership, medical condition or genetic characteristics, race or national origin, pregnancy, religion, sex, gender identity, gender or sexual orientation, name change, ci