Description

The Michigan School of Psychology, a private, non-profit graduate institution dedicated to excellence in clinical psychology education, is seeking a highly responsible, motivated and organized individual to fill the full-time staff position of Director of Financial Aid. MSP is a very small institution (total headcount of 196 for fall 2025) with a highly focused financial aid operation. Being a graduate institution, financial aid is focused on federal student loans, private education loans, a few internal scholarships, and veteran benefits. We do not participate in Pell Grants, work-study, or other undergraduate financial aid programs.

 As a school that is singularly focused on educating clinical psychologists, the MSP experience is different from any other school in the State of Michigan. All students are committed to becoming licensed psychologists, and all faculty and staff share a passion and a commitment to the school, the profession and the discipline. This makes the MSP environment truly unique. 

 The Director of Financial Aid will join an MSP team that functions well as a collective and is prepared for continued success in the future. The ideal candidate is someone that wants to invest in our mission “...to educate psychologists today who will transform our world tomorrow.”

 The MSP campus is located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a suburb of metropolitan Detroit, the largest urban area in Michigan. A culturally and ethnically diverse area, known as the world’s automotive capital, it also contains many major corporations. Metro Detroit is rich in arts, culture and business opportunity with world class hotels, restaurants, entertainment, museums and theaters.

 Job Title:                    Director of Financial Aid

Reports to:                 Vice President of Services & Operations

Supervises:               n/a

Summary:  The Director of Financial Aid is an integral leadership role responsible for the comprehensive administration of all student financing, compliance, and accounts receivable functions. Serving as MSP’s primary expert, the Director manages the entire financial aid life cycle—including application processing, verification, packaging, and disbursement of all federal (Title IV), state, private, and institutional funds—while ensuring continuous regulatory adherence across all programs, including those for veteran benefits (Certifying Official). This role is highly strategic, requiring active collaboration with leadership to integrate aid policy with enrollment and budget goals. Additionally, the Director provides expert financial counseling to students and manages the full cycle of student accounts, tuition billing, and payment plan administration, ensuring both high-quality student service and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Aid Operations and Processing

• Independently manage and execute the entire financial aid lifecycle, including application processing, needs analysis, verification, packaging, disbursement, student files, monthly enrollment reporting to NSLDS via the National Student Clearinghouse, and reconciliation for all students.
• Administer all institutional, federal (Title IV), state, private, and internal/external aid programs, including Federal Direct Loans, institutional scholarships, and private educational loans.
• Serve as the college's Certifying Official, ensuring timely and accurate processing and compliance for all veteran educational benefits.
• Monitor Financial Aid Student Academic Progress (FA-SAP) ensuring compliance with federal guidelines and processing appropriate Title IV Returns.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to maintain accurate and up-to-date financial aid content on the MSP website.
• Maintain the MSP Financial Aid & Billing Handbook.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and institutional regulations, including consumer information requirements. Oversee and execute all required federal reporting (e.g., PPA, FISAP, IPEDS, 1098-T).  
• Manage and maintain the financial aid module within the student information system to ensure accurate and efficient processing and reporting.
• Annually develop new student Cost of Attendance (COA) budgets, C-Flag verification triggers, systematic budget codes, aid fund codes, award letter templates, and process flows.
• Annually develop loan disbursement and refund calendar.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the departmental budget to meet current and future needs ensuring that the department is delivering high quality services in the most cost-effective way.

Student Service and Counseling

• Serve as the sole point of contact for all students and prospective students regarding financial aid, providing expert counseling on all financing options, application processes, and financial literacy.
• Participate in prospective student and admission processes to support students seeking financial aid.
• Track Direct Loan Entrance and Exit Loan Counseling requirements for federal loan recipients. Notify students when requirements are unmet. Inform and regularly update the MSP registrar of DL Exit counseling status as a graduation checklist item.
• Manage and review student appeals for professional judgment, special circumstances, and satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

Policy, Strategy, and Institutional Advancement

• Draft, implement, and maintain all financial aid policies and procedures, including those related to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4), professional judgment, and verification.
• Actively collaborate with MSP leadership to integrate financial aid strategy with enrollment and budget goals, identifying opportunities to leverage aid to support institutional mission and growth.
• Prepare for and collaborate with MSP leadership on all internal and external audits and program reviews related to financial aid and veteran benefits.
• Monitor the institutional cohort default rate and provide annual reports.
• Proactively monitor changes in federal, state, and institutional regulations and implement necessary updates to maintain continuous compliance.

Tuition Tracking and Billing

• Process and record Accounts Receivable deposits, specifically paper check transactions, in the student information system.
• Administer the full cycle of student payment plans, encompassing agreement creation, systematic monitoring of payment compliance, and managing proactive delinquency follow-up.
• Execute cyclical tuition billing audits (e.g., at the 2, 4, and 6-week semester marks) to identify outstanding student balances and dispatch necessary payment notifications.
•  Implement and manage registration holds on student accounts exhibiting delinquent tuition balances.
•  Collaborate with administration to streamline tuition payment processes and support comprehensive collections strategies.

College-Wide Duties & Responsibilities:

The success of MSP relies heavily on collaboration, flexibility, and a shared commitment to its mission, vision, and values. Due to our size, it is essential that all employees contribute beyond their primary roles to support broader campus needs. A collective effort ensures that the school functions smoothly, fosters a strong sense of community, and maintains the high-quality experience expected by students and stakeholders alike. As part of this collaborative spirit, employees are asked to act in accordance with the following (but not limited to):

• Assist with school events: Orientation, Open Houses, Conferences, Career Fair, Graduation, etc.
• Participate in shared governance through committee service and/or other engagement.
• Attend meetings, trainings, professional development and other events. 
• Treat all members of the MSP community with respect, professionalism and courtesy.
• Contribute to a welcoming and inclusive campus culture. 
• Adhere to all MSP policies and procedures and relevant legal and ethical standards.
• Be open to new ideas, technologies and changes that support MSP’s strategic plan.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required:

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a financial aid office with a strong preference for experience working with graduate students.
• Comprehensive, deep working knowledge of federal Title IV regulations, disbursement procedures, and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency with financial aid management software and the Department of Education's systems (e.g., COD, NSLDS, EDConnect).
• Demonstrated experience as a Veteran Certifying Official or the ability to quickly obtain certification and manage veteran benefits compliance.
• Proficient use of technology, including MS Suite (Word, Excel, Access) with strong skills for sorting and formatting reports in Excel. 

Looking for a candidate who: 

• is a self-starter and can effectively manage all responsibilities without daily supervision or direct reports,
  has absolute precision in processing, reporting, and policy implementation,
  has excellent communication skills to effectively counsel students, present information to leadership, and communicate complex policies clearly, and
  has a commitment to providing exceptional, empathetic, and professional service to a diverse graduate student population.