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.

Requirements

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.

Benefits

An overview of Elmhurst University benefits is available here

.