Assistant/Associate Director, Financial Aid

Description

Assistant/Associate Director

Financial Aid

Full-time, exempt

Reports to: Director, Financial Aid

Salary: $60,000-70,000

VLGS Benefits and PTO include: 

- Full benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc.). 

- 403b including 4% employer contribution.

- 2 weeks of paid vacation in addition to paid personal and sick days. 

- 11 paid holidays plus two weeks of paid “Dean’s Days” for Summer and Winter breaks. 

- Employee Assistance Program.

- VLGS course participation with tuition assistance.

- Flexible schedule potential.

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community. 

 Please attach a resume and cover letter for consideration. 

Position Summary:

The Assistant/Associate Director lends direct support to the Director of Financial Aid for the management and general administration of student financial aid programs, and directly manages the Federal Work Study, Fellowship, and Loan Repayment Assistance (LRAP) programs. This position focuses primarily on the student side of the financial aid office and will act as the department’s primary point of contact for students. Occasional travel and evening/weekend work is required.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advises students on financial aid programs from admission through graduation and beyond.
• Oversees monthly reconciliation of funds from Department of Education with PowerFAIDS and our Business Office and the Common Origination and Disbursement database, making sure to correct any discrepancies found.
• Certifies AmeriCorps funding for students participating in that program; ensures payments are received and applied to students’ financial aid awards properly.
• Manages any/all consortium agreements with various institutions; ensures students dually enrolled at VLGS and another institution are not over-awarded federal aid; monitors loan funds and ensures funds are sent directly to visiting host school and that student receives their living expenses.
• Responsible for certifying private education loans; counseling students on differences between Federal loans and private loans.
• Processing private Bar loan certifications for students.
• Counsel individuals and groups regarding budgeting, debt management, loan obligations and related issues. Inform and advise applicants, students and parents on financial aid opportunities, application procedures, processes, and policies.
• Establish Loan Repayment Assistance Program parameters; award and disburse funding. Review eligibility for loan forgiveness at year-end.
• Serves as a liaison for the Financial Aid Office with applicants, enrolled students, parents, financial institutions, and other VLGS offices, providing information regarding the VLGS financial aid program. 
• Advises students regarding expenditures that should be anticipated during the school year, the availability of funds and credits and options associated with their use, disbursement dates, due dates for charges, financial obligations associated with awards, etc. When income is inadequate to anticipated needs, informs of available loan alternatives and assists in processing loan applications.
• Processes budget increase requests; sends follow up emails and/or requests additional documentation as necessary.
• Counsels students who have been denied loans based on credit history; assists them in the appeal and/or endorser process; ensures mandatory counseling processes are completed by students for timely loan disbursements.
• Advise students on consolidation and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, while they are applying, while actively enrolled and after graduation. Sets up one-on-one counseling sessions with students to walk them through loan repayment options after graduation.
• Working with AccessLex, sets up exit counseling, credit score, and loan repayment sessions for students; coordinates and promotes financial literacy events.
• Administer the Summer Fellowship program including updating application material, advertising, collecting applications, determining eligibility and recipients.
• Gives presentations for open houses and new student orientation; presents on financial aid options, FAFSA process, student loan repayment, and other financial aid focused presentations as needed.
• Oversees the administration of the Federal Work-Study Program. Answers program related questions; assists in filling out program forms and informs students of available opportunities; initiates adjustments to financial aid for program participants; completes onboarding and verification process in payroll system; ensures bi-weekly FWS payroll is ready for processing; initiates adjustments to financial aid for program participants.
• Serves as secondary for the electronic retrieval of the automated financial aid applications for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA/ISIR) from the Department of Education and Admissions automated admitted applicants process (Unite and Salesforce) as needed. 
• Acts as the institution’s Secondary VA Certifying Official, staying up to date with all VA educational policies and procedures.
• Counsels veterans and/or dependents on eligibility requirements to obtain Veterans Administration education benefits as needed.
• Oversees the Federal Perkins Loan program managed through University Accounting Services; ensures compliance with Perkins program regulations. 
• Serves as point person in the Financial Aid Office for the liquidation and assignment of existing Perkins loans.

Requirements

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree preferred, or equivalent educational/work experience.
• Understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to inclusion, including the ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds,?identities, and viewpoints.? 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and video conferencing products, including, but not limited to Outlook, Word, EXCEL, Teams, and Zoom required.? 
• Must be able to adapt to new and emerging technology as established and communicated by the law school. 
• Excellent?English-language?communication, oral and writing skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.?? 
• Ability to deal effectively with a wide variety of VLGS personnel and students and/or outside individuals/organizations. 
• Ability to work independently on various projects that require initiative and to work with numbers and financial information. 
• Knowledge of Powerfaids financial aid software and Jenzabar preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills and knowledge of or demonstrated ability to comply with federal, state and local laws and follow established procedures governing financial aid required.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks at one time and move from one task to another seamlessly.
• Capability of managing office in the absence of the Director.

 Other Requirements:

• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and reorganize under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship.
• Ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations.

Application Requirements:

Please attach a resume and cover letter for consideration. If you are applying from a third party website (Indeed, etc.) and are unable to attach additional materials to your online application, please apply directly at https://www.vermontlaw.edu/community/about-vls/employment-opportunities or email required documents to Christine Moyer, cmoyer@vermontlaw.edu.

As part of our commitment to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, candidates who meet the qualifications for this position and who require accommodations to apply should contact Human Resources at jobs@vermontlaw.edu. Vermont Law and Graduate School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran's status, HIV status, pregnancy, genetic information, health insurance status, and crime victim status.

PM20

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000