Academic affairs director vs finance aid director

The differences between academic affairs directors and finance aid directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an academic affairs director and a finance aid director. Additionally, an academic affairs director has an average salary of $112,527, which is higher than the $58,644 average annual salary of a finance aid director.

The top three skills for an academic affairs director include financial aid, colleges and academic programs. The most important skills for a finance aid director are financial aid programs, title iv, and state regulations.

Academic affairs director vs finance aid director overview

	Academic Affairs Director	Finance Aid Director
Yearly salary	$112,527	$58,644
Hourly rate	$54.10	$28.19
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	11,420	98,523
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

Academic affairs director vs finance aid director salary

Academic affairs directors and finance aid directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Academic Affairs Director	Finance Aid Director
Average salary	$112,527	$58,644
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $180,000	Between $37,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Commonwealth
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between academic affairs director and finance aid director education

There are a few differences between an academic affairs director and a finance aid director in terms of educational background:

	Academic Affairs Director	Finance Aid Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic affairs director vs finance aid director demographics

Here are the differences between academic affairs directors' and finance aid directors' demographics:

	Academic Affairs Director	Finance Aid Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%	Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic affairs director and finance aid director duties and responsibilities

Academic affairs director example responsibilities.

Manage and track individual sorority members monthly study hour requirements.
Experience in the support of transition and retention strategies for multicultural student populations to address differentials in attrition and retention.
Deliver training seminars to faculty, administrators and staff providing services to veterans.

Finance aid director example responsibilities.

Manage cash flow for all funds including, FFEL, PELL, FSEOG, alternative loans, and cash.
Manage a majority of payroll ensuring that there are accurate accruals and necessary deductions.
Review and determine outcome of all financial aid appeals.
Assist students, parents, and staff with navigating the financial aid process, by providing guidance with the FAFSA.
Resolve student appeals and special circumstance requests.
Maintain Pell grant accounts from application processing to monthly reconciliation.

Academic affairs director vs finance aid director skills

Common academic affairs director skills

Financial Aid, 10%
Colleges, 10%
Academic Programs, 7%
Student Services, 7%
Curriculum Development, 7%
Educational Programs, 6%

Common finance aid director skills

Financial Aid Programs, 9%
Title IV, 8%
State Regulations, 5%
Enrollment Management, 5%
Student Loans, 4%
Federal Regulations, 4%

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Academic Affairs Director
Academic Affairs Director vs Finance Aid Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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