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Finance aid director vs finance director

The differences between finance aid directors and finance directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a finance aid director, becoming a finance director takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $58,644 average annual salary of a finance aid director.

The top three skills for a finance aid director include financial aid programs, title iv and state regulations. The most important skills for a finance director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.

Finance aid director vs finance director overview

Finance Aid DirectorFinance Director
Yearly salary$58,644$118,518
Hourly rate$28.19$56.98
Growth rate7%17%
Number of jobs98,52390,012
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4746
Years of experience68

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.

What does a finance director do?

A finance director's role is to oversee all financial activities and aspects of a company or organization. One of their duties is to gather necessary financial data and cultivate reports on essential matters such as revenue and budget, provide risk assessments and estimates, implement vital policies, and allocate funds within the company. Furthermore, a finance director must also devise strategies and recommend innovative methods for financial gains, while in adherence to the organization's policies and regulations.

Finance aid director vs finance director salary

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

Finance Aid DirectorFinance Director
Average salary$58,644$118,518
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $92,000Between $76,000 And $183,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCPalo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyCommonwealthMeta
Best paying industryEducationManufacturing

Differences between finance aid director and finance director education

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

Finance Aid DirectorFinance Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance aid director vs finance director demographics

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

Finance Aid DirectorFinance Director
Average age4746
Gender ratioMale, 30.9% Female, 69.1%Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%11%

Differences between finance aid director and finance director duties and responsibilities

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.
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Finance director example responsibilities.

  • Manage treasury functions considering the inflationary situation and changes in economic patterns to minimize any negative impact they may involve.
  • Improve internal controls and operating efficiency by training accountants and converting general ledger reconciliations to GAAP formats.
  • Prepare financial data and footnotes for independent CPA annual audit financial statements.
  • Develop financial models in Hyperion to aggregate sales data and allocate expenses for profitability analysis.
  • Complete Sarbanes-Oxley procedural requirements for entire incentive development, administration and reporting process.
  • Develop an electronic billing capacity and are the first Montana health care provider to bill Medicaid electronically.
  • Show more

Finance aid director vs finance director skills

Common finance aid director skills
  • Financial Aid Programs, 9%
  • Title IV, 8%
  • State Regulations, 5%
  • Enrollment Management, 5%
  • Student Loans, 4%
  • Federal Regulations, 4%
Common finance director skills
  • CPA, 7%
  • Financial Analysis, 6%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Work Ethic, 4%
  • Oversight, 4%
  • Financial Management, 4%

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