Associate Director of Financial Aid
Under the direction of the Assistant Vice President, the Associate Director serves in a leadership role in the development of policies and procedures to ensure that financial aid is in compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies.
The Associate Director serves as a member of the office leadership team in developing strategies that support the successful attainment of goals related to compliance, enrollment, retention, and persistence to graduation, as well as net tuition revenue targets. The Associate Director serves in a lead position in the office to establish training and measurement toward established goals, including proper administration of financial aid in accordance with statutory and regulatory guidelines, as well as exceptional service to students and parents.
The Associate Director works closely with other administrative and academic departments to ensure consistent awarding policies, practices, and compliance.
The Associate Director also provides leadership, training, supervises, and evaluates designated exempt and/or non-exempt staff within the department. This includes daily oversight, establishment of goals, and professional development and evaluation. They must have demonstrated the ability to lead, motivate, build teams, and develop growth within their direct reports.
RIT, as an institutional member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), requires all members to exemplify the highest level of ethical behavior and demonstrate the highest level of professionalism by following the Statement of Ethical Principles.
Major responsibilities include:
Office Leadership and Management - Serve in a leadership role on the office management team. Actively participate in developing strategies that support successful enrollment, retention, and persistence to graduation. Assist the Executive Director with the strategic planning of operations and client services. Implement programs and communications that maximize students’ understanding of, access to, and securing of financial aid in support of enrollment, retention, and on-time graduation. Make data-driven decisions to plan for the new aid year, review statistical data, and evaluate trends.
Staff Supervision - Provide leadership, selection, management, training,g and evaluation of assigned employees with knowledge in each area of supervision. This includes daily oversight, training, mentoring, and performance evaluations, establishment of goals and professional development, and conflict resolution. Assist in the mentoring and growth of human resources, knowledge, and skill capital within the department.
Campus Collaboration - Fully support the RIT Strategic Plan and the Enrollment Management division enrollment interests. Areas include targeted financial aid programs that leverage maximizing enrollment and providing access to an RIT/NTID education. Collaborate effectively with campus departments to actively support student recruitment and retention. This includes: Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Admissions, Student and Academic Advising Services, Registrar, Student Financial Services, Co-op, Student Employment, Marketing, Office of Development, Office of Intercollegiate Athletics, all Colleges, including NTID, and the Controller’s Office. Prepare and present information at workshops regarding financial aid processes for Admissions recruiting events, orientation programs, and various on-and off-campus groups.
Financial Aid Merit and Need-based Appeals Lead – Lead a small team in the review of and responding to roughly 3,000 appeals annually for additional merit and need-based funding. Use professional judgment to determine whether additional RIT/NTID grant funding is appropriate, consistent with established enrollment and net tuition revenue objectives, and in support of the university's strategic plan.
Special Scholarship Coordination: Coordinate with other offices (such as Admissions, NTID, and Alumni Office) to ensure special scholarships are awarded appropriately and paid properly. Special scholarships include Performing Arts Scholarships, RIT Alumni Referral Awards, the William A. Johnson Jr. Scholarship, and NTID-specific programs, etc.
Undergraduate Admissions Liaison - act as primary contact in financial aid for initiatives related to incoming undergraduate students. These initiatives include developing and helping to implement new scholarship opportunities for RIT incoming students. This position is involved in the administration of most merit scholarships offered to incoming students, ensuring that funds are applied accurately and effectively for students who enroll. This position works with several unique populations, including Global Scholars, Canadian students applying for need-based financial aid, and students readmitted to RIT.
Professional Development - Maintain an active role in professional development as a means for remaining current and knowledgeable about the higher education financial aid profession. Regularly review professional journals and periodicals, and actively participate in professional organizations at the state, regional, and national levels. Share knowledge with staff.
Compose and conduct presentations to students, parents, colleagues, and as outreach to the community.
