Sergio,
I agree. Nobody knows it all, so having the skill set to know where to locate the federal regulation, applicable law, etc. is imperative. I think organizational skills are also very important as a proficient director must be able to multi-task and keep track of many, sometimes conflicting priorities.
Cindy Kohlman
Maria,
That is a very comprehensive list! You have stated many essential skills that a successful director should have. You list both hard and soft skills which many people do not always have but are really required in order for a financial aid administrator to be effective.
Cindy Kohlman
Ileana,
I think that the people skills are so important because those are so hard to teach. You either have them or you do not, has been my experience. As long as the director is able to look up federal regulations, learn as many of them as is possible, keeps current, and he or she possess strong people skills, you end up with the perfect combination for an effective financial aid director.
Cindy Kohlman
A FAD has to be very diverse and knowledgeable of the policies and procedures of federal aid. Has to be eager to learn the institutions internal polices and how the FA is applied and if it is applied accurately. The FAD has to be approachable and always willing to embrace continuous changes in federal policy.
Catalina ,
I agree with all the skills you have stated. I especially like the last one; "willing to embrace continuous changes in federal policy." I had not thought about that being something that would be essential but it is! Individuals who are not willing to accept and implement changes will not be very successful in this industry. Being open-minded and having the capacity to do what is required, even if it is more time consuming, is just one of the main rules of the game.
I have witnessed some financial aid administrators that will ignore a new regulation because they either can't or won't take the time to understand it, would not accept the change as it was to "too hard to do" implement, so they kept the status quo and looked the other way. None of these examples would ever be accepted as a response by the Department of Education and will make for an ineffective financial aid director; one that is putting their institution and ultimately it's students at risk for not being able to participate in the Title IV programs.
Cindy Kohlman
I would hire a person with the knowledge of federal regulation to be capable to administrate Title IV and be in compliance with those regulations and to adhere to institutional policies as well. Leadership and very good customer service to deal with students and parents
Daisy,
These are all good and needed qualifications for sure. Ideally, this person would also have great interpersonal skill to insure that they can effectively deal with fellow department heads and their own staff members as well.
Warren Hoffman
When interviewing a candidate for the position of a Financial Aid Director, it is important to have the following qualities: knowledge of federal regulation, Knowledge of Title IV regulations, very good customer service and good leadership skills.
Mayra,
I agree that these are important qualities for a Director to have. Director's do not need to "know" all the regulations, just where to go to find them when they need them. In my mind, and others may disagree, leadership skills and the ability to motivate staff even when the workload seems impossible is an important quality for the Director to have.
Warren Hoffman
I would look for a person who has very good customer service, I think it is very important to provide good service to the student
I would look for someone with a good math background, attention to detail, open to learning new things, good at researching questions, good listening skills, and someone easy for students and other staff to interact with (personality).
Janet,
Those are all essential qualities for a Director of Financial Aid. You imply it, but excellent customer service skills and experience is really important.
Warren Hoffman
Attention to detail, customer service skills, experience. Federal student aid regulations change frequently.
For example, in 11-12 award year, a tax transcript was no required and the verification worksheet was only 2 pages. Today, you can no longer accept tax returns (there are a few exceptions) and the verification worksheet can be up to 8 pages. You also have to be aware of unusual enrollment history. This is where attention to detail comes in. Title IV regulations are constantly changing and a FA director should be proactive in getting all of the details of what is required for your department to be in compliance. You really don't want to find out that something was not being done or being done correctly during a FSA compliance visit or program review.
Excellent customer service is a necessary skill. I wasn't the most social person when I began working in financial aid but the necessity to clearly communicate financial aid eligibility to students broke me out of my shell. You never want a student coming back after the fact stating "I didn't know" or "No one ever told me that." A good FA director would put a test in place to check that all students are satisfied with the customer service being offered. Like a financial aid survey or a monthly/quarter student satisfaction survey.
Experience is important, too. We have all referred to the FSA handbook when we encounter something we are not familiar with. Reading about a situation and handling it first-hand are two different things. For example, I would say I am familiar with most ISIR C codes just by reading but I didn't become confident until I cleared my first default, overpayment, or citizenship issue. These are things we have all read about on ifap.ed.gov or in the FSA handbook. However, I can say with confidence that if I encounter these issues again, I will not hesitate or be nervous. That only comes with experience in my opinion.
Michael,
All good ideas! Another skill set that is important for a Director to have would be dealing with staffing issues. Depending on the size of your staff there are always issues in the work place. Being able to gain the trust and respect of your employees is also a learned skill over time. Having a motivated and happy counseling staff will go a long way to promoting good work habits and productivity.
Warren Hoffman
Warren,
I would be looking for someone who has exceptional customer service skills, someone who communicates effectively and who has a flexible schedule.
Thank you,
Romina
All very good points. I would also be looking for someone who can manage the many personalities of an office staff. Keeping the staff productive and on point is also crucial.
Some skill sets I look for when hiring someone in this type of position is prior management experience, financial aid knowledge, and the ability to think creatively. Having prior management experience helps when you have a team that is looking to you for direction on their own development on top of giving them advice on how to handle the not so common situations. Financial Aid knowledge for a director is key because this position entails someone who should have a strong FA knowledge base and the know-how abilities to look up information and interpert the meanings for guidance,while staying compliant. There are many issues and tricky situations that can come about. Maintaining compliance with these types of situations also means to think outside the box to help the student with their goals in recieving their education. The director of a financial aid office is responsible for the entire department. If there are potential audit issues, it is great to have someone who can hold themself accountable to those mistakes and take action on correcting any mistakes. This type of leadership demostrates accountability and has the potential in creating a well compliant knowledgeable team.
Katie,
Sounds like you have much experience yourself. Not sure I like the term "compliant". Maybe motivated is a better word. Nice job
Warren Hoffman
