Associate Director of Financial Aid Counseling

The Associate Director of Financial Aid Counseling provides leadership and oversight for all customer service and counseling operations within the Office of Student Financial Services (SFS). This position manages student-facing service channels including in-person visits, appointments, phone communications, written correspondence, and departmental messaging. The Associate Director oversees FAFSA verification, special circumstance reviews, professional judgment decisions, and Satisfactory Academic Progress processes. This role ensures high-quality service delivery while supporting the effective administration of student financial aid programs.

Position Status: Exempt

Salary Range: $58,000 - $65,000. This is the expected salary range for this position. The actual salary offered will depend on a candidate's experience and education, and departmental budget.

Responsibilities

• Manages, trains, and supports financial aid counseling staff and student employees.
• Leads financial aid counseling processes and manages complex student cases and escalations.
• Oversees all SFS customer service operations including phone, email, walk-in, appointment, and event support.
• Coordinates and manages SFS communications including scheduled Colleague notifications and maintenance of the communication calendar.
• Manages SFS social media presence and assists with website updates and content review.
• Coordinates SFS-hosted and SFS-attended events including content development, scheduling, and presentations.
• Oversees appeals processes including special circumstances, unusual circumstances, dependency overrides, and scholarship appeals.
• Manages Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) processes including setup, notifications, appeals, and academic plan coordination.
• Oversees FAFSA verification processes, ISIR flag resolution, and conflicting information review.
• Oversees document intake processes and supports operational workflow as needed.
• Develops and implements financial literacy programming for prospective, current, and graduating students.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director to develop, revise, and implement financial aid policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Assists with audits, compliance reviews, and institutional reporting to ensure adherence to federal and institutional regulations.
• Supports annual financial aid system setup and assists with maintenance of financial aid processes within Colleague.
• Leads internal training and professional development initiatives for team members.
• Maintains knowledge of regulatory updates, industry trends, and best practices through training and conferences.

Other Responsibilities

• Supports the University’s mission, vision and values.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties and completes special projects as needed and assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum three years of experience in financial aid administration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong technical and analytical skills, including experience working with financial aid systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or similar financial aid/student information systems.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements
The essential functions of this position are primarily performed in an indoor setting with limited exposure to outdoor weather conditions. Work is often sedentary in nature and requires remaining in a stationary position for extended periods. Required abilities include speaking and hearing for in-person and virtual communication, using close and distance vision when reading documents or viewing screens, and performing tasks with repetitive fine motor skills. Work may require occasional lifting, bending, carrying, or otherwise moving objects weighing up to 15 pounds. Qualified applicants who can perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodations will be considered.

An overview of Elmhurst University benefits is available here.