Department chairperson vs finance aid director

The differences between department chairpeople 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 a department chairperson and a finance aid director. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $58,644 average annual salary of a finance aid director.

The top three skills for a department chairperson include curriculum development, professional development and classroom management. The most important skills for a finance aid director are financial aid programs, title iv, and state regulations.

Department chairperson vs finance aid director overview

	Department Chairperson	Finance Aid Director
Yearly salary	$98,438	$58,644
Hourly rate	$47.33	$28.19
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	33,511	98,523
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department chairperson do?

A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.

What does a finance aid director do?

A finance aid director oversees finance aid officers that deal with student loans, fees, scholarship grants, insurance, and other loans. They organize cash flow for all funds available. They analyze applications, grant scholarships and loans to students, and provide information on benefits and restrictions included with financial aid. They also help students resolve loan defaults or underpayments. They must have good communication skills to facilitate talks between students and universities.

Department chairperson vs finance aid director salary

Department chairpeople and finance aid directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Chairperson	Finance Aid Director
Average salary	$98,438	$58,644
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $191,000	Between $37,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Marshall University	Commonwealth
Best paying industry	Finance	Education

Differences between department chairperson and finance aid director education

There are a few differences between a department chairperson and a finance aid director in terms of educational background:

	Department Chairperson	Finance Aid Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Department chairperson vs finance aid director demographics

Here are the differences between department chairpeople' and finance aid directors' demographics:

	Department Chairperson	Finance Aid Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% 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 department chairperson and finance aid director duties and responsibilities

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

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.

Department chairperson vs finance aid director skills

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

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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Department Chairperson
Department Chairperson vs Finance Aid Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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