Director of Financial Aid
Director of Financial Aid
The Director of Financial Aid serves as a strategic leader responsible for overseeing all aspects of financial aid administration, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations while fostering a student-focused approach. This position plays a pivotal role in aligning financial aid strategies with institutional goals to support access, affordability, and student success.
The Director collaborates closely with internal and external stakeholders to provide a seamless financial aid experience for students and their families, while ensuring the institution maintains full compliance with Title IV federal aid regulations, FERPA, and all applicable state requirements. This is a senior administrative role requiring both operational expertise and strategic leadership capability.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Administration
- Lead the planning and implementation of the institution’s financial aid programs, including federal, state, institutional, and private funding sources
- Manage the financial aid team, promoting a culture of innovation and service excellence
- Develop and implement strategies to enhance the student financial aid experience from application through disbursement
- Oversee the financial aid budget, including scholarship allocation and forecasting, ensuring optimal use of resources to meet enrollment objectives
Compliance and Regulatory Oversight
- Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations, including Title IV federal aid requirements and FERPA
- Prepare for and manage federal and state audits, program reviews, and accreditation visits
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting to federal and state agencies including NSLDS and COD
- Stay current with changes in federal and state financial aid policy and communicate implications to institutional leadership
Collaboration and Student Services
- Collaborate with Admissions and Enrollment Management teams to optimize recruitment and retention efforts through financial aid packaging strategies
- Partner with academic and student services departments to support students facing financial challenges and emergencies
- Provide timely, accurate, and empathetic communication to students and families, resolving escalated concerns and appeals
- Educate students and families about financial aid opportunities through workshops, presentations, and published resources
- Maintain strong relationships with external agencies, lenders, and scholarship providers to enhance funding opportunities
Education, Experience, and Skills
Education and Experience
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Deep understanding of federal and state financial aid regulations, including Title IV, FERPA, NSLDS, and COD requirements
- Experience with financial aid management systems such as Banner, PowerFAIDS, or equivalent platforms
- Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging data for decision-making, forecasting, and compliance reporting
- Exceptional communication and presentation skills for working with students, families, and institutional leadership
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and student services
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with strategic enrollment management and the intersection of financial aid and recruitment strategy
- Expertise in leveraging financial aid data for enrollment modeling and net revenue forecasting
- Familiarity with scholarship management software and third-party financial aid technology platforms
What We Are Looking For
Deep, current knowledge of Title IV, FERPA, and state aid regulations with a track record of clean audits and compliant program administration.
Ability to design and manage financial aid packaging strategies that support enrollment objectives, net revenue goals, and access priorities simultaneously.
Commitment to creating a financial aid office culture that is accessible, responsive, and genuinely helpful to students and families navigating complex processes.
Experience with Banner, PowerFAIDS, or equivalent systems, and the ability to extract and interpret data for compliance reporting, forecasting, and strategic planning.
Ability to recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing financial aid team in a compliance-intensive environment that also demands exceptional customer service.
Skill in communicating complex financial aid information clearly to diverse audiences including students, parents, faculty, board members, and external auditors.
- Regulatory Mastery: deep, current knowledge of Title IV and FERPA with a track record of clean audits and compliant program administration
- Strategic Enrollment Alignment: ability to design financial aid packaging strategies that support enrollment, net revenue, and access goals simultaneously
- Student-Centered Leadership: commitment to a financial aid office culture that is accessible, responsive, and genuinely helpful to students and families
- Data and Systems Fluency: experience with Banner or PowerFAIDS and the ability to extract data for compliance reporting and strategic planning
- Team Development: ability to recruit and retain a high-performing team in a compliance-intensive, customer-service-driven environment
- Stakeholder Communication: skill in communicating complex financial aid information to students, families, leadership, and external auditors
Salary and Benefits
The position offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package. The institution is committed to supporting the professional development and long-term success of its administrative leadership.
How to Apply
Excelon Associates is conducting this search on behalf of our client institution. All nominations and expressions of interest will be held in strict confidence. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
- Submit a resume and cover letter through the Excelon Associates candidate portal
- Provide the names and contact information for three professional references with direct knowledge of your financial aid leadership
- Selected candidates will be invited for a confidential conversation with the Excelon Associates search team
- Finalists will participate in campus interviews with the search committee and senior institutional leadership
For nominations or confidential inquiries, contact Excelon Associates at +1 (828) 417-7094 or via the Start a Search page.
For universities and institutions dedicated to promoting student success and ensuring access to education, Excelon Associates is your trusted recruitment partner for finding a Director of Financial Aid who combines regulatory expertise with genuine student-centered leadership.
Need to Hire a Director of Financial Aid?
Excelon Associates recruits financial aid directors, enrollment management leaders, and student services administrators for colleges and universities nationwide. Whether your goals are to strengthen financial aid leadership, improve student affordability, or drive compliance and efficiency across your aid office, we connect you with the right candidates. Headquartered in Asheville, NC. Retained search since 2007.