How to hire a finance aid director

How to hire a finance aid director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance aid director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a finance aid director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new finance aid director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a finance aid director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The finance aid director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a finance aid director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a finance aid director that fits the bill.

   This list presents finance aid director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Finance Aid Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Aid Director	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$17-44
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72
   Student Dean	A Student Dean is focused on responding to students' needs at a college or university. They plan and direct university activities related to student services and campus life.	$15-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Aid Programs
   • Title IV
   • State Regulations
   • Enrollment Management
   • Student Loans
   • Federal Regulations
   • Professional Judgment
   • Financial Aid
   • Financial Assistance
   • Financial Aid Policies
   • Student Accounts
   • Institutional Policies
   • Institutional Scholarships
   • Fisap

   Check all skills

   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.

   More finance aid director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your finance aid director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A finance aid director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a finance aid director in North Carolina may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level finance aid director usually earns less than a senior-level finance aid director. Additionally, a finance aid director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average finance aid director salary

   $58,644yearly

   $28.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance aid director salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average finance aid director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$80,083	$39
   2	Connecticut	$78,833	$38
   3	California	$78,181	$38
   4	Michigan	$77,344	$37
   5	Maryland	$77,321	$37
   6	Wisconsin	$75,162	$36
   7	Illinois	$69,373	$33
   8	New York	$66,214	$32
   9	Ohio	$65,740	$32
   10	Georgia	$63,370	$30
   11	Louisiana	$61,959	$30
   12	Colorado	$60,703	$29
   13	Virginia	$59,160	$28
   14	Texas	$55,756	$27
   15	Nebraska	$54,403	$26
   16	Kansas	$53,520	$26
   17	Florida	$52,839	$25
   18	North Carolina	$52,430	$25
   19	Oklahoma	$50,348	$24
   20	South Carolina	$48,774	$23

   Average finance aid director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Commonwealth	$81,021	$38.95
   2	Universal Technical Institute	$77,217	$37.12	19
   3	Midwestern State University	$73,528	$35.35
   4	Grays Harbor College	$71,791	$34.51
   5	Cleveland Institute of Music	$70,531	$33.91
   6	Education Affiliates	$69,166	$33.25
   7	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	$67,424	$32.42
   8	East Stroudsburg University	$67,270	$32.34
   9	Bryant & Stratton College	$64,415	$30.97	7
   10	University of California-Berkeley	$63,784	$30.67
   11	Southern Careers Institute	$61,406	$29.52	14
   12	Tulsa Community College	$59,219	$28.47	1
   13	Arizona College	$59,175	$28.45	11
   14	The City University of New York	$57,035	$27.42	13
   15	Rosemont College	$56,846	$27.33
   16	Frederick Community College	$56,352	$27.09	1
   17	West Shore Community College	$56,088	$26.97
   18	Robert Half	$52,658	$25.32	353
   19	University of Notre Dame	$52,259	$25.12	5
   20	Coker University	$52,030	$25.01

4. Writing a finance aid director job description

   A finance aid director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a finance aid director job description:

   Finance aid director job description example

   The Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships (OSFA) endeavors to generate, evaluate, and implement strategic initiatives that create sustainable, long-term improvements to OSFA's administration of aid programs and services. The director has a critical role in enlisting others in setting, embracing, and achieving OSFA objectives while effectively leading and managing a team of four in the administrative, fiscal, and program management authority for federal and state aid programs. This position is responsible for funds management, fiscal reporting, reconciliation, and audits. This position reports to the Financial Aid Deputy Director.
   The University of Kentucky Office for Student Success operates from a student-centered
   
   foundation. We seek to build a strong community through the care of
   
   and concern for every member of Student Success. We cultivate an equity-minded
   
   working and learning environment where people are seen and valued. We strive to
   
   revolutionize student success practice through a culture of ingenuity, excellence,
   
   agency, and accountability.
   
   The University of Kentucky considers the health, safety and well-being of our entire community to be a top priority. In alignment with this priority, all new hires must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. For areas that fall under the federal CMS mandate, start of employment cannot occur until two weeks after receiving the full COVID-19 vaccination series or upon obtaining an approved exemption. Only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization can be accepted.
   
   Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
   
   ProSAM (FA Management System)
   
   MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, etc.
   
   US Department of Education Systems such as COD, NSLDS, FAA Access
   
   Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes Preferred Education/Experience
   
   7 yrs related exp., supervisory experience, active involvement in state, regional, or national fin aid assoc., earned NASFAA CFAA and/or credentials.
   
   Deadline to Apply 11/06/2022 University Community of Inclusion
   
   The University of Kentucky is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring all our students, faculty, and staff work in an environment of openness and acceptance. We strive to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. We also value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
   
   As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.
   
   Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right finance aid director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your finance aid director job on Zippia to find and attract quality finance aid director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting finance aid directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new finance aid director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the finance aid director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new finance aid director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a finance aid director?