Assistant Director Financial Aid, Grants and Scholarships

Proudly standing as the nation’s oldest HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has been a stalwart and highly respected institution of higher education since our founding in 1837.For over 185 years our alumni have emerged as leaders and left their mark on the social, economic, and political history of Philadelphia, the surrounding region, the nation, and the world. Building on this legacy, the vision for Cheyney University is to become the premier model for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility.

Here at Cheyney, we value scholarship, diversity, integrity, respect, and service. We are committed to maintaining a vibrant educational community that is dedicated to promoting scholarship and lifelong learning for its students, offering wide student access to resources to ensure an opportunity for all to acquire an education, encouraging freedom of thought and freedom from discrimination by ensuring a respectful environment, and provide outreach and service to external and constituent communities, demonstrating their understanding of the importance and value of service.

We’re looking for exceptional individuals who share our values, embrace our mission, recognize our potential, and covet the opportunity to continue to move our historic University forward.CU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; generous retirement plans; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

This position is assigned to the Student Financial Aid Office and will provide a variety of financial aid support and services to students.  The Assistant Director acts as a significant support for the Director and Associate Director of Student Financial Aid.  The incumbent will be responsible for the effective management of the University’s endowed and institutional scholarship programs, private funds, all State grant programs, Veteran benefit programs and other federal grant programs.

Duties:

• Interpret and implement federal, state, institutional and private funding according to regulations and guidelines with the Director and Associate Director of Student Financial Services.
• Responsible for the processing and reconciliation of all State grant programs including PHEAA and special programs such as PATH, Ready to Succeed, EAP and Chafee.  Meet all deadlines and participate in all State grant training workshops.
• Responsible for the processing of non-PA State grant programs.
• Responsible for the processing of Keystone Scholarships, Cheyney University restricted and unrestricted scholarship programs and outside scholarship programs.
• Responsible for cross departmental coordination with the Advancement Office to ensure effective management of the University’s scholarship program such as, determining the recipients of an established award through Scholarship Universe; maintaining scholarship criteria in Scholarship Universe; accounting of scholarship expenditures, and maintaining appropriate files and records in full compliance with the requirements of the donor and are within the provisions of all laws and regulations applicable to the expenditures by charitable organizations; maintaining cross-institutional department scholarship relationships; complete and submit required donor/sponsor reporting requirements as needed.
• Process Veteran benefit paperwork to ensure timely approval of benefit disbursements to Cheyney on behalf of the students.  Work in collaboration with the Registrar’s office to ensure enrollment information is submitted in a timely manner.
• Responsible to work with the Comptroller’s Office to coordinate coding of scholarships between all systems to ensure data integrity and reconcile appropriate accounts monthly.
• Assist in the financial aid awarding process during the fall and spring semesters, the collection of paperwork, processing of summer aid applications and awarding scholarships.   This includes counseling students during the move-in process and during regular office hours.  Some evening and weekend work may be necessary.
• Oversee the Federal Work Study program expenditures and regulatory requirements, allocating and monitoring student earnings according to federal regulations, overseeing the distribution and collection of mandatory work contracts, collaborating with the payroll office on the collection of work documents and participating in the monthly reconciliation of the program.
• Ensure the Federal Work Study community service expenditures requirements are met each academic year, projecting FWS expenditures to ensure full use of the FWS authorization, coordinate training for supervisors overseeing students working in both on-campus and off-campus FWS placements, coordinating student placements with the Director of Career Development or JLD Coordinator.
• Assist with financial aid presentations on campus and FAFSA workshops as needed.
• Have a working knowledge of the Cheyney packaging philosophy, policies, procedures, goals, objectives, and initiatives.  Set goals to ensure work is accomplished in a timely manner.
• Counsel students and/or parents concerning all aspects of financial aid programs.
• Provide service to all students, employees, and the public with patience, personal respect and civility
• Maintain a working knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines relative to all financial aid programs through webinars and professional conferences