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Director Of Student Financial Aid Jobs (NOW HIRING)

$95K - $105K/yr

Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I) Apply now Job no: 559376 Work ... Resolve escalated student issues, service concerns, and complex financial aid cases. * Ensure ...

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How much do director of student financial aid jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for director of student financial aid in the United States is $89,912.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $62,000.00 and $110,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of student financial aid do?

A Director of Student Financial Aid oversees the administration of financial aid programs and services at educational institutions. They ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, manage the allocation of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study funds, and develop policies to support student access to financial resources. This role often involves supervising financial aid staff, advising students and families, and collaborating with other departments to promote affordability and retention.

What are some common challenges faced by a director of student financial aid, and how can they be addressed?

Directors of Student Financial Aid frequently encounter challenges such as managing compliance with evolving federal and state regulations, balancing limited funding with high student need, and ensuring timely processing of aid applications. To address these, directors must stay updated on policy changes, foster strong communication within their teams, and implement efficient systems for application review. Building strong relationships with other campus departments, such as admissions and bursar's offices, also helps streamline processes and support students more effectively.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of student financial aid, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Of Student Financial Aid, you need expertise in financial aid regulations, program administration, and higher education policies, typically supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in a related field. Familiarity with federal and state financial aid systems (such as FAFSA), student information systems, and regulatory compliance tools is essential. Exceptional leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills help in managing teams and guiding students through complex financial processes. These skills are vital to ensure regulatory compliance, equitable aid distribution, and the financial well-being of both students and the institution.
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What cities are hiring for Director Of Student Financial Aid jobs?

Cities with the most Director Of Student Financial Aid job openings:

What states have the most Director Of Student Financial Aid jobs?

States with the most job openings for Director Of Student Financial Aid jobs include:

Infographic showing various Director Of Student Financial Aid job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $89,912 per year, or $43.2 per hour.

Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I)


California State University
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools • 1 - 5K employees

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

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$95K - $105K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 17 hours ago


Job description

Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I)

Apply now Job no: 559376
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: East Bay
Categories: MPP, Administrative, At-Will

 

Salary and Benefits

PLEASE NOTE: The starting salary placement depends on qualifications and experience and is anticipated to be in the range of $95,000 to $105,000 per year. 

Cal State East Bay offers a broad range of benefits that includes medical, dental, vision, retirement (CalPERS), 401k, 457, 403(b), dependent and health care reimbursement accounts, life insurance, vacation and sick, 14 paid holidays, one personal holiday and tuition fee waiver.
For more information on the benefits program, please visit our benefits website. The CSU Total Compensation Calculator demonstrates the significance of our benefits package.

Classification

Administrator I

About Cal State East Bay

Cal State East Bay's beautiful main campus is located in the Hayward hills with panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Situated above the city of Hayward, the campus offers an ideal setting for teaching and learning and yet easy access to the many cities along the bay. The University has a satellite campus in Concord, a professional development center in Oakland and a significant presence online. Founded in 1957, Cal State East Bay is one of 23 universities of the California State University system (CSU). Cal State East Bay is recognized as a regionally engaged and globally oriented university with a strong commitment to academic innovation, student success, engaged and service learning, diversity, and sustainability.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Associate Director of Financial Aid provides leadership and operational oversight for financial aid counseling, student service delivery, scholarship administration, compliance activities, communications, and daily office operations in support of student success and institutional enrollment goals for California State University, East Bay (CSUEB or the University). The Associate Director supervises financial aid staff, coordinates front-line service operations, and assists in ensuring compliance with federal, state, CSU, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.

This position oversees daily financial aid operations including counseling services, case management workflows, scholarship coordination, staff training, communications, and integrated student service efforts with the University One Stop. The Associate Director collaborates extensively with Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, the Director of Student Outreach, Marketing and Communications, and campus partners to improve service delivery, communication processes, and the overall student experience for students, families, and the campus community. 

Please Note: Review of applications will begin on July 16, 2026.

Responsibilities 

Financial Aid Operations, Staff Supervision, and Service Delivery 

  • Provide leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for daily Financial Aid Office operations and student-centered service delivery.
  • Supervise, train, evaluate, mentor, and provide ongoing support and direction to financial aid staff and student employees.
  • Oversee daily office operations including counseling services, processing workflows, case management, customer service functions, and front-line student support.
  • Establish operational priorities, staff assignments, service expectations, and workflow procedures to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
  • Monitor staff productivity, service response times, counseling activities, and operational outcomes to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Coordinate staffing schedules and operational coverage for in-person, virtual, phone calls, emails, and One Stop student services.
  • Support onboarding, professional development, and ongoing training for financial aid staff and student employees.
  • Resolve escalated student issues, service concerns, and complex financial aid cases.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, CSU, and institutional financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures.
  • Assist with implementation and maintenance of operational processes, system enhancements, and workflow improvements.
  • Conduct the probationary and annual performance evaluations for all staff.
  • Serve as operational lead and provide leadership continuity in the absence of the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Financial Aid Administration, Compliance and Operational Oversight

Assist with administration and oversight of financial aid programs, compliance activities, and operational processes supporting institutional and student financial aid programs.

  • Assist with oversight of federal, state, institutional, and scholarship financial aid programs including awarding, processing, reconciliation, and reporting activities.
  • Monitor compliance with applicable federal, state, CSU, NCAA, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.
  • Oversee quality control, file review, verification, satisfactory academic progress, appeals, and documentation processes.
  • Collaborate with Financial Aid Operations staff to support system functionality, automation, reporting, and process improvements.
  • Assist with audit preparation, compliance reviews, policy updates, and implementation of regulatory changes.
  • Monitor operational metrics and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, compliance, and student service delivery.
  • Utilize financial aid systems, reporting tools, and case management technologies to support operational oversight and assessment efforts.
  • Assist with development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures, and operational guidelines.

Student Services, One Stop Collaboration, Scholarship Operations, and Communications

Provide leadership and coordination for integrated student service operations, scholarship administration, financial aid communications, and collaboration with the University One Stop/Welcome Center.

  • Coordinate ongoing collaboration between the Financial Aid Office and the University One Stop/Welcome Center to support integrated in-person and virtual student services.
  • Oversee financial aid counselor rotation schedules and staffing support for the One Stop to ensure timely and accurate financial aid assistance for students and families.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Student Outreach and One Stop leadership to improve communication workflows, referral processes, and student service coordination.
  • Oversee financial aid case management workflows, including coordination of triaged financial aid inquiries received through the One Stop and assignment of cases to appropriate financial aid staff.
  • Develop and provide ongoing training, resources, and guidance for One Stop student ambassadors specializing in financial aid services to ensure accurate and student-centered support.
  • Oversee scholarship administration processes including application review timelines, awarding coordination, communication workflows, and operational support for scholarship activities.
  • Coordinate scholarship committee meetings and collaborate with campus partners involved in scholarship review and awarding processes.
  • Monitor scholarship fund utilization to support timely awarding and effective use of institutional and donor-funded scholarship resources.
  • Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Student Outreach, and Marketing and Communications on financial aid messaging, outreach efforts, presentations, workshops, and communication strategies for students, families, and the campus community.
  • Assist with development and review of financial aid communications including websites, email campaigns, presentations, student notifications, and informational materials to ensure accuracy, consistency, and student-centered communication.
  • Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, communication processes, and student support services related to financial aid and scholarships.

Scholarship Administration and Coordinaton

Provide leadership and operational oversight for scholarship administration processes, coordination activities, and student support services related to institutional and donor-funded scholarships.

  • Oversee daily operations of the scholarship coordinator to ensure timely and accurate processing of scholarship applications, awarding, communication, and fund distribution.
  • Supervise and support scholarship coordination activities, workflows, timelines, and operational processes.
  • Coordinate scholarship application review processes and ensure adherence to institutional policies, donor requirements, and established deadlines.
  • Oversee the organizing and facilitation of scholarship committee meetings, including communication, materials preparation, tracking, and coordination with campus stakeholders.
  • Monitor scholarship fund utilization and awarding activity to support effective and timely expenditure of institutional and donor-funded scholarship resources.
  • Collaborate with Advancement, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, and campus partners regarding scholarship processes, donor criteria, and student eligibility requirements.
  • Assist with development and implementation of scholarship communication strategies, outreach materials, and informational resources for students and families.
  • Utilize reporting tools and data analysis to monitor scholarship trends, fund balances, awarding activity, and operational effectiveness.
  • Identify opportunities to improve scholarship workflows, communication processes, and the student experience related to scholarship administration.
  • Ensure compliance with institutional, CSU, donor, and regulatory requirements related to scholarship administration and awarding processes.

Strategic Planning, Collaboration, and Student Success Initiatives

Support strategic planning, cross-campus collaboration, and student success initiatives related to financial aid and enrollment management.

  • Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and campus partners to support student success and enrollment initiatives.
  • Participate in strategic planning efforts, operational assessments, and process improvement initiatives related to financial aid and student services.
  • Support training, presentations, workshops, and outreach activities for students, families, and campus partners.
  • Participate in CSU systemwide meetings, professional development opportunities, and collaborative initiatives as assigned.
  • Contribute to the development of a student-centered, inclusive, and collaborative service culture within the department and across campus partnerships.
  • Analyze service trends, operational challenges, and student feedback to recommend improvements supporting student access and success.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in related field plus six years of progressively responsible work experience in higher education financial aid administration, which includes a minimum of one year of experience leading and/or supervising the work of others; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Skills and Knowledge 

  • Master's Degree
  • Work experience in an academic setting, ideally Public Higher Education.
  • Demonstrated commitment and ability to advance the University's goals in the areas of diversity and inclusive excellence.
  • Four years of experience leading and/or supervising the work of others.

Leadership / Vision:

  • Commitment to CSUEB's mission and goals as a student-centered university dedicated to teaching excellence and active learning with a university first perspective and a customer focused strategy.
  • Ability to establish a clear and understandable vision for the Financial Aid department, engage the university community in the implementation of the vision, and build the operational components to execute the vision.
  • Ability to lead and enable groups of people to face challenges and achieve results in complex conditions.
  • A commitment to diversity, inclusiveness and access in all areas of the university. 

Management / Conflict Resolution / Problem Resolution / Initiative / Continuous Improvement:

  • Successful experience managing a complex organization.
  • Experience building and managing an effective world-class team dedicated to organizational goals and high performance.
  • Experience with directing, supervising, motivating and inspiring others; measuring the performance of people, teams and organizations, and assessing performance and progress.
  • Familiarity with collective bargaining and administering corrective action as appropriate in a collective bargaining environment.
  • Ability to develop and support on-going learning and professional development for staff, managers and emerging leaders.
  • Ability to lead courageously by addressing difficult issues.
  • Ability to prioritize and handle issues based on sense of urgency and importance.
  • Ability to ensure confidentiality around sensitive issues.
  • Ability to initiate and support innovation with creativity, openness to change, flexibility, responsiveness, and future focus.
  • Ability to apply quality management techniques of continuous improvement and employee involvement to assess and improve services, promote campus culture and build teams.
  • Ability to identify current and future challenges and propose and implement effective solutions.
  • Experience making effective decisions with sound analytical ability, good judgment and strong operational focus. 

Communication:

  • Excellent communication (verbal, written, presentation) skills.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and with purpose to a variety of audiences.
  • Successful n...

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About California State University

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California State University, Fresno is one of 23 campuses in the California State University System. The University's mission is to boldly educate and empower students for success through our values of Discovery, Diversity and Distinction. The current student population is more than 25,000, including a large percentage of students with diverse and culturally rich backgrounds. The University serves the San Joaquin Valley while maintaining deep involvement with the state, nation, and across the globe.

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