Career Center

Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania's Financial Aid Office invites applicants for the position of Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Loans.

West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, comprehensive institution committed to offering high-quality undergraduate education, selected post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

The Financial Aid Office supports the recruitment, retention, and student success efforts of the University's diverse undergraduate and graduate student population by helping students and their influencers seek, obtain, and make the best use of all financial resources.

Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid, the Assistant Director provides leadership and oversight for the student loan programs to support students and their families.  This position oversees and maintains efficient loan processing; serves as a liaison to private lenders; monitors and ensures compliance with all the laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines; supervises two Financial Aid Analysts; and manages a case load of student appeals.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent customer service, presentation, leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills; experience managing loan programs and compliance, collaborating with outside agencies, providing financial aid counseling, and serving diverse student populations; and will value teamwork, collaboration, and continual process improvement. 

Responsibilities include:

• Act as primary contact for Federal Direct Loan programs, private loan lenders and ELM
• Collaborate with campus partners to provide excellent customer service to support students and their families
• Provide counseling on the financial aid process to both prospective and current students and parents via email, in-person meetings and phone
• Communicate developments, modifications, and trends in student loan programs
• Prepare reports and documents for federal, state, university, and other agencies
• Maintain accurate program and student files and records
• Participate in program reviews to ensure program integrity
• Manage a case load of student appeals
• Facilitate financial aid training and presentations at campus and outreach events
• Represent the Financial Aid Office on University committees
• Develop and update aid publications, forms and applications
• Supervise two Financial Aid Analysts
• Other duties as assigned

• Bachelor's degree
• Two years of professional financial aid or related higher education experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, and Excel

• Knowledge of graduate and doctoral programs
• Experience supporting diverse student populations
• Experience with federal and private loan regulations and reconciliation
• Knowledge of cost of attendance, special and unusual circumstance appeals
• Supervisory experience
• Experience using student information systems including Banner, Campus Logic, COD, Partner Portal and ELM

About West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University (WCU) of Pennsylvania is among the top regional comprehensive public universities in the nation, serving more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a national reputation for excellence, value, and student success. Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, West Chester offers more than 118 undergraduate and 103 graduate programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the Philadelphia campus, and online. Five colleges and two schools comprise the University: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the School of Music, and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies. Located in Chester County (25 miles from downtown Philadelphia) the area combines the best of enjoyable daily living with easy access to the full spectrum of country and city attractions. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

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