Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships

Central Washington University is recruiting a Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships to join our Student Financial Services team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $90,662 - $113,328 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Offering more than 135 bachelor's and master's degrees, the university enrolls approximately 8,800 students, of which ~45% are people of color. The institution employs 1,800 people. CWU's average class size is 20. The university holds regional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Faculty are recognized regionally and/or nationally for collegiate teaching in mathematics, physics, geology, music, and chemistry. The top five majors awarded are: Elementary Education and Teaching, General Psychology, Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, Business Administration, and Social Sciences.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships is the chief financial aid administrator and is responsible for overall leadership of departmental operations, including management of federal, state, and institutional aid funds, as well as compliance with federal and state programs and adhering to best practices. In collaboration with key stakeholders across the University, the financial aid & scholarship director effectively manages financial aid for students and their supporters in alignment with CWU's vision, mission, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity.

The Director possesses an in-depth knowledge of higher education and an extensive understanding of the important role financial aid plays in enrollment management. As an integral member of the University's enrollment management leadership team, the Director works closely with the admissions team to support enrollment, student access, retention, program assessment, and student success. The Director has primary responsibility for leadership, resource management, and administrative oversight of the accurate delivery of financial aid to qualified students in a supportive and timely manner. The Director must ensure the proper administration of all federal, state, and institutional student financial assistance. The Director will be an active and visible leader both on campus and in the larger financial aid community. This position will require the use of skill and knowledge to analyze and exercise judgement while conducting federal needs analysis, verification, award packaging, and other Title IV aid processes. The Director will be responsible for providing updates in policies and procedures as they pertain to Federal, State, and institutional student aid funds. The Director will require minimal guidance and supervision, manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, react with the appropriate urgency to situations requiring a quick turnaround, take effective action without knowing the total picture and be skilled at anticipating problems. CWU is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institute with 24% Latinx students. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion throughout the university community.

Administrative Duties:
- Provides overall administration of the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office and the university financial aid programs. The Director provides leadership for planning, managing, and evaluating personnel, programs, and budgets while ensuring timely, sensitive, and accurate delivery of financial aid to students in a highly regulated environment.
- Develops and implements application intake and tracking processes to ensure proper documentation of all awards for auditors, program reviewers, and accreditation teams.
- Directs and coordinates the efficient delivery of all student financial aid programs.
- Oversees all financial aid processes for awarding grants, federal work-study, loans, and scholarships.
- Serves as main contact with USDOE/Federal Student Aid.
- Maintains CWU's Program Participation Agreement (PPA) with USDOE. File required applications for Title IV recertification and required PPA updates in a timely manner.
- Collaborates and partners with various University offices including Admissions & Recruitment, Registrar's Office, Information Technology, Student Account Services, and the Division of Budget & Finance on effective and efficient workflow processes and deadlines.
- Exercise full responsibility for all federal financial aid programs including but not limited to Direct Lending, Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work-study; all state financial aid programs including but not limited to State need Grant, State Work-study, EOG, WAVE, Washington Scholars, College Bound, Passport; and institutional financial aid programs including but not limited to CWU Grant, CWU Tuition Waiver, and Scholarships.
- Develop and conduct annual review and development of student budgets, satisfactory academic progress policy, packaging policy, awarding strategy, and Federal Return of Title IV policy within the guidelines required by Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended, CRF 34, the Washington State RCW and the Washington Student Achievement Council.

Leadership & Team Management Duties:
- The Director provides leadership and professional development for the Financial Aid & Scholarships staff, recognizes and promotes a diverse workforce, values and encourages diverse perspectives and teamwork.
- Develop and implement strategies to ensure equitable access to financial aid for underrepresented and marginalized student populations.
- Collaborate with campus partners to promote diversity and inclusion within financial aid services.
- Advocate for policies and practices that support the financial needs of diverse student groups.
- Supervises and evaluates the performance of assigned staff and plans, coordinates, and arranges for appropriate training. Clearly defines performance expectations, ensures accountability, and provides ongoing informal feedback, coaching, and mentorship and promptly resolves concerns.
- Designs, establishes, and maintains an organizational structure and staffing to accomplish the organization's goals and objectives effectively; recruits, employs, trains, supervises, and evaluates staff.
- Serves on the Enrollment Management Leadership team, develops plans, and contributes to the long- and short-term strategic planning for the recruitment and retention of students.
- The director participates in and represents the University at national, regional, and state professional organizations. The Director is responsible for managing over $200 million in financial aid for the University.
- Exhibits high emotional intelligence through exemplary leadership, directing customer service standards, proactively addressing challenges and resolving conflict amicably; demonstrates ability to build, maintain, and mentor a high-performing team through positive morale and workplace culture.
- Work with staff to focus on providing excellent customer service and maintain cordial working relationships with students, parents, the campus community and external customers.

Compliance & Process Management Duties:
- The Director is responsible for submission of timely and accurate financial aid reports as required by federal, and state entities, included but not limited to the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP).
- The Director is also responsible for ensuring timely and customer-oriented services to students and the campus community while maintaining compliance with all federal and state regulations and campus policies pertaining to student financial aid.
- Develops and implements policies, programs, procedures, and audits to ensure compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, and University policies. Monitor campus-based aid (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and Federal Work- Study) allocations.
- Guide and oversee the development, documentation, and implementation of financial aid policies and procedures that adhere to federal and state compliance requirements and align with CWU's Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Plan.
- Prepare for and coordinate annual audits, as well as state and federal program reviews, as needed.
- The Director is highly knowledgeable of all federal and state regulations dealing with student financial aid and must stay current with changes as they occur.
- Coordinates with institution, state, and federal agencies to resolve disputes or discrepancies.
- Works with Financial Services/Controller and financial services staff to reconcile state and federal accounts and scholarships, including preparation for the audit.
- Interpret, inform and advise University administration about changes in financial aid so that the impact on budget, services, University resources and enrollment is identified.
- Establish and maintain effective oral, written, print and electronic media communications for current and prospective students, parents, University personnel and the general public so that current requirements as well as continuing changes in Financial Aid are communicated in a clear and understandable manner.
- Remain abreast of changes or upgrades to the student financial services administrative enterprise computer system which may impact Student Financial Services processes.

- Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Ten (10) years of progressive professional experience in financial aid.
• Demonstrated successful and significant experience in financial aid including the ability to develop, implement, and manage financial aid programs and provide leadership for the University and staff.
• High level knowledge of the administration and disbursement of federal and state aid programs including best practices and latest trends in student aid and active participation in state, national, and regional financial aid associations.
• Experience ensuring compliance with federal and state reconciliation and reporting requirements, and other regulations pertaining to Federal Direct Loan and private loan programs.
• Experience utilizing word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, such as Microsoft Suite products to create, modify and format documents and presentations.
• Project management, coordination and/or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Five (5) years of experience as a director of financial aid at a college or university.
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities.
• Demonstrated participation in programs designed to promote inclusion.
• Knowledge of Federal, State, and Student Aid regulations, laws and procedures.
• Superior verbal, written, interpersonal communication, and relationship building skills.
• Impeccable track record of integrity with strong budgetary skills demonstrated by successful fiscal management and performing such functions as budget projections, generating reports, balancing multiple budgets, reviewing expenditures, recognizing inconsistencies, and initiating budget transfers.
• Increasingly responsible experience in office and general administrative work, including support of high-level executives in complex, large organizations.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines with constant interruptions.
• Demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for students through various activities.
• Ability to incorporate multicultural perspectives and issues into everyday conversations.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position has a minimum annual salary of $90,662 and maximum annual salary of $135,993. The Hiring Department's expected hiring range is $90,662 - $113,328. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.