Assistant Director of Financial Aid for MA Programs

Assistant Director of Financial Aid for MA Programs

• 558198
• New York
• Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• Full Time
• Opening on: Jun 30 2026
• Grade 12

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• Job Type: Office of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University''s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Financial Aid and Admissions in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid for MA Programs manages specialized financial aid operations for MA students, including federal aid assessment, Title IV compliance review, private loan counseling, institutional aid administration, student account reconciliation, and financial aid communications. The incumbent exercises independent judgment in interpreting established federal, University, and GSAS policies. The role develops and maintains workflows, reports, and tools to support accurate and timely aid processing; identifies discrepancies and implements corrective action; and coordinates with Student Financial Services, academic programs, Admissions, Student Affairs, and external agencies to resolve complex aid and account issues.

Responsibilities

MA Federal Aid Assessment and Awarding (35%)

• Exercises professional judgment and independently interprets policy, in accordance with Department of Education regulations, to analyze and determine total MA student cost of attendance for up to 250 individual cases per year, ranging from $50,000-$150,000 per case.
• Manages and enforces the Title IV Schedule of Reductions compliance procedures, including monitoring, documentation, case-by-case eligibility review, and corrective action in accordance with federal, University, and GSAS requirements.
• Adjudicates caseload with independent discretion, only escalating to the Senior Director in rare, unusual enrollment circumstances involving disability services, extenuating medical circumstances, withdrawals, or budget appeals.
• Adjusts MA student records in accordance with findings, while maintaining compliance standards and delivering exceptional customer service.
• Advises and counsels students on available private lending products, including guiding MA students on application procedures, comparative analyses of available products, and repayment projection analyses.
• Develops and evaluates financial aid planning tools, including billing and repayment calculators, to improve student advising, consistency of guidance, and operational efficiency.
• Serves as the office contact for Federal Work-Study award management; independently assesses need and eligibility for receipt of Federal Work-Study funds.

Financial Aid Communications and Webpage Management (25%)

• Develops and implements strategic communications and corresponding workflows for the unit, including web presence, webinar schedule, public presentations, and digital communication campaigns.
• Assesses and improves financial aid content on the financial aid website, including MA student-facing information related to loan options, responsible borrowing, and financial wellness.
• Oversees the development of communications and resources to help MA students and families understand borrowing limits, financing gaps, and available alternatives.
• Produces and presents webinars to MA and PhD student populations.
• Manages and keeps current and accurate Financial Aid's webinar archive.
• Collaborates with GSAS Communications Office to draft, edit, and manage all communications to both PhD and MA students from GSAS Financial Aid.

Institutional Aid Administration for MA Students (20%):

• Manages a comprehensive and accurate case list of GSAS Master's students with financial aid awards, and proactively communicates with students regarding award disbursements, troubleshooting as needed.
• Develops and improves disbursement and reconciliation workflows for federal and private loans and for funds from external and institutional sources, including funds subject to Title IV regulations.
• Manages and enforces documentation, eligibility, and processing requirements for internal and external funding agencies.
• Acts as lead liaison to Master's program administrators and students to resolve issues related to aid disbursement, student accounts, payments, and billing.
• Collaborates closely with the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Affairs, and external agencies to administer awards to Master's students, establish funds, and process aid for the Master's students.
• Interprets and applies University and GSAS financial aid policies to ensure accurate and timely processing of MA student awards.

MA Student Accounts and Reconciliations (15%):

• Develops, executes, and analyzes reports from multiple systems to reconcile GSAS financial aid records against actuals, and ensure cross-system data integrity.
• Identifies discrepancies, resolves overpayments or account errors, and coordinates corrective action with Student Financial Services and other University offices, as needed.
• Ensures timely reconciliation of assigned MA student accounts; works independently with various offices within Student Financial Services to resolve issues related to student accounts, payments, and billing.

Other (5%):

• Collaborates with the Senior Director on special projects; participates in University-wide Financial Aid meetings and training. Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree or equivalent.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of financial aid, student financial services, higher education administration, or related experience required.
• Ability to operate with periodic supervision and exercise independent judgment in applying established federal, University, and GSAS financial aid policies to complex MA student cases required.
• Strong knowledge of financial aid policies, federal aid requirements, loan processing, student account reconciliation, and data analysis required. Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply established policies, exercise independent judgment, manage multiple projects with varying deadlines, identify and resolve discrepancies, and maintain accurate records required.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, written, oral, interpersonal, and customer service skills required. Advanced Excel skills and experience pulling, analyzing, and reconciling data required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of financial aid software and reporting strongly preferred; proficiency with PowerFAIDS administration, NetPartner, and reporting modules highly desirable. Knowledge of Title IV programs and regulations and loan certification helpful.

Other Requirements

• To be considered for this position, applicants must provide a resume and cover letter. Finalists may be asked to provide a writing sample.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.