Assistant Director, Financial Aid

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Job Title: Assistant Director, Financial Aid

Department: Financial Aid

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports to: Director, Financial Aid

Work Schedule: 35 hours/week; 12 months/year

Union: SEIU Local 500

Grade Level: 6

Salary Range: $47,700 - $59,600

Position Overview: The Assistant Director, Financial Aid plays a vital leadership role in advancing student success and strengthening institutional support systems at MICA. This position integrates high-level financial aid advising, scholarship coordination, and outreach initiatives to help undergraduate students and campus partners navigate financial aid processes with greater understanding and purpose.

As a primary advisor and point of contact for undergraduate prospective and current students, the Assistant Director provides individualized guidance that supports each student's academic and artistic goals. The role also works closely with Undergraduate Admissions and MICA's Foundation to help administer endowed scholarships, ensuring alignment with donor intent.

A key function of this position is capacity building. The Assistant Director helps develop financial literacy, critical thinking skills, and procedural knowledge of students, families, and staff. This includes personalized advising, lesson-based learning, and the creation of tools and resources that empower others to make thoughtful, informed financial decisions. Through collaborative engagement with campus partners, the Assistant Director strengthens the institution's ability to provide consistent, student-centered support.

This position requires an independent, strategic leader with strong decision-making abilities. The Assistant Director is expected to operate with a high level of autonomy, proactively identify challenges, implement effective solutions, and foster strong partnerships across departments to enhance operational efficiency and student experience.

The general purpose of this role is to administer federal, state, and institutional financial aid while guiding students and families in understanding the long-term value of a MICA education. This includes academic and artistic alignment, financial sustainability, and informed decision-making that supports each student's personal and professional goals.

Summary of Essential Functions Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Student-Focused Financial Aid Advising

• Provide comprehensive financial aid advising for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as their families, guiding them through the process of financial assistance, financing options, and budgeting strategies for attending a private art school.

• Develop and deliver financial literacy information sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions to help students make informed financial decisions regarding tuition, loans, work-study, and personal finances.

• The position requires evaluating and processing federal Professional Judgment (PJ) appeals, including special and unusual circumstances, to ensure equitable and compliant adjustments to financial aid eligibility.

• Support front desk operations by managing walk-in traffic, responding to email inquiries, and handling incoming phone calls, ensuring timely and professional communication with students and families.

• Utilize PeopleSoft and Slate extensively for processing aid, managing student records, tracking communications, and ensuring accurate and efficient service delivery.

Scholarship Awarding

• Collaborate with the Foundation, Admissions, and the Director of Financial Aid to ensure accurate and timely awarding of undergraduate scholarships.

• Manage the full lifecycle of institutional and donor-funded scholarships, including eligibility tracking, awarding, reporting, and stewardship.

• Ensure compliance with donor intent in the disbursement of scholarship funds.

• Coordinate with the Foundation to align scholarship awarding with available funds and donor specifications.

• Track scholarship balances, reconcile awards, and assist with year-end reporting and donor correspondence.

• Serve as a liaison to students with scholarship-related questions, ensuring transparency and support throughout the process.

• Participate in scholarship selection committees or processes as needed, ensuring equitable and consistent practices.

Financial Aid Outreach & Community Engagement

• Lead financial aid outreach initiatives, including campus events, informational workshops, and virtual content development (e.g., video tutorials, webinars, digital guides) to educate students and families on financial aid processes.

• Serve as a representative of MICA's Financial Aid Office at student, parent, and community events.

• Work collaboratively with Undergraduate Admissions to ensure prospective students receive accurate financial aid guidance during the recruitment and enrollment process.

Financial Aid Operations & Policy Implementation

• Review financial aid applications for accuracy, process student eligibility documentation, determine financial need, and award aid in compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

• Identify opportunities to improve financial aid processes, ensuring better efficiency, accessibility, and a student-centered approach.

• Maintain current knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, ensuring compliance and accurate

• implementation across institutional practices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associate's degree

• Previous experience in financial aid administration, student advising, Finance, or admissions in a higher education setting.

• Strong understanding of federal financial aid programs, including Federal Work-Study, grants, loans, and special circumstances appeals.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and collaborate cross-departmentally in a dynamic, student-focused environment.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively present to students, families, faculty, and staff in both individual and group settings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven ability to develop digital and in-person educational materials to enhance financial literacy and student support..

• Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and collaborate cross-departmentally in a dynamic, student-focused environment.

• Familiarity with financial aid management systems (e.g., PeopleSoft, Banner, or other student information systems.)

• Experience in training, capacity building, and workshop facilitation.

Reporting to this position: No direct reports

Conditions of Employment:

• Satisfactory Background Check results

• Unusual Circumstances related to the position: Work occasional evenings and/or weekends, short blackout periods during high-volume times

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical Demands: While performing the duties of job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk; ride a bike, operate a Segway, sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

• Work environment: While performing the duties of the job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment ranges from minimal to moderate.

• Required training: Handbook orientation, Anti-Harassment, Hazard Communication, Emergency Plans & Fire Prevention, Crime Prevention, Patrol Tactics, Emergency Response, Personal Protection Equipment. (additional training may be added, SEE: EHS Manager training schedule)

Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status (disabled, Vietnam-era, or otherwise). Furthermore, the College does not tolerate any form of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or sexual violence. This policy applies to all programs, facilities, and activities provided by Maryland Institute College of Art, including but not limited to admission, educational programs, and employment.

Applicants must apply online for each job in which they are interested. You will not be considered for any job for which you have not specifically applied. We do not accept applications via email, U.S. mail, or fax. Successful candidates for any staff or faculty positions will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

MICA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Human Resources at 410-225-2363.