Moving Up (or Around) in the Financial Aid Office Erin Porter Associate Director Scholarships & Financial Aid Texas A&M University Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Agenda Advice from TASFAA Leaders Meet Nick, Heather and Erin Strategies for Success Misconceptions Scholarships & Financial Aid structure Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Scholarships & Financial Aid Texas A&M University Approximately 80 full-time staff and 30 student employees Structured in teams by function Formal career ladder Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Organizational Chart Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Teams Administration Scholar Assistant Vice President Director of Financial Aid Operations and Veteran Services Director of Scholarships 4 Associate Directors Compliance Officer 2 Data Analysts Marketing Manager Training Specialist Scholar Award university scholarships University-wide scholarship applications Outside donor relations Processing of outside scholarship checks Monitoring of compliance by campus departements Scholarship banquets and orientations Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Teams Opportunities Veteran Services Office Student Employment Office Awarding and administration of work study programs Maintain part-time job database Job Location and Development Serve as HR office for student employees Return of Title IV Attendance confirmation process Veteran Services Office Process and advise on all federal and state veteran education benefits Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program processing Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Teams Money Education Center Processing Provides financial literacy education and resources to students Presentations, one-on-one counseling, web resources, general elective Foundations of Money Education in-person course Default management Experimental Site Initiative on annual loan counseling Processing Load and review ISIRS Verification Intakes all documents, Imaging Loan processing COD processes Exit counseling letters Lots and lots of reports to monitor changes in student accounts for compliance! Little student interaction Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Teams Advising Service In person student advising Call center Advising on all aspects of scholarships and financial aid Full-time staff and Peer Counselors A few reports Advising In person student advising Advisors in front lobby (walk-in) and in back offices (appointments) SAP appeals Professional judgement advising and processing Primary email account Reports related to awarding Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Misconceptions Promotions just happen after a certain amount of time Although time and experience in your current position may be a factor, there are many more at play Performance, job fit, budget, office structure My office is small and doesn’t have a career ladder, so there is no way for me to move up You can still advance in your career without these things Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Misconceptions Do you really want a promotion? Is it a title change or increased compensation you desire? More responsibility? A seat at the table? Promotions are just about rewarding a good employee It has to be a win-win situation for the employer and the employee How will you help your office achieve its goals? Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Misconceptions “Up” doesn’t always mean better Make sure you understand the duties and expectations Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Misconceptions The promotion comes first Expect to perform the new responsibilities for some time before being promoted or compensated Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Do good work This is a no-brainer, but sloppy or inaccurate work won’t take you far Meet deadlines They are set for a reason. Never be the reason why the train goes off the track. Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Don’t just present the problem Bring a solution AND the willingness to fix it Team Player mentality “Not my job” shouldn’t be in your vocabulary Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Dress for the position you want, not the one you have Can management picture you in the position you want? Impressions are everything Be mindful of EVERY interaction with EVERYONE Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Speak up Ask questions Share your ideas, but do your research Don’t be afraid to challenge a decision, but in a respectful way Does your supervisor know your career goals? Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Take ownership of your learning and professional development Do you read the FSA Handbook, IFAP, Federal Register, NASFAA News, AskRegs? Lynda.com, TED talks, Khan Academy Webinars On campus training Cross-training with other staff Become an expert in your area Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Do you just know the procedures? Could you present on the regulations? Do you know how it is done at other schools? Become an expert in your area Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Be organized Document procedures, create calendars and desktop manuals, etc. Volunteer and network Get involved in professional associations like TASFAA or on-campus groups Go the extra mile Sometimes this means working extra hours Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Strategies for Success Seek out a variety of responsibilities to show what you are capable of Opportunities to supervise, even if not official Customer service Working in a team Project management If it helps your boss, it helps you! Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Heather! Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Heather! Early 2002 Jan 2005 Mid 2005 Hired as student employee to help with converting to imaging system Late 2002, recruited as part of first group of Peer Counselors Jan 2005 Hired as full-time Advisor after graduation Default Officer, new position on loans processing team Mid 2005 Started supervising Peer Counselors Later same year, began supervising some staff Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Heather! 2008 Tasked with major project to reconcile multiple loan accounts Late 2009 Hired as Assistant Director of Team Processing Began representing office at New Student Conference planning meetings Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Heather! 2013 Hired as Associate Director overseeing Processing and Veteran Services Supervises staff at campuses in Galveston and Fort Worth (School of Law) Primary liaison with Health Science Center programs National Training for Counselors & Mentors (NT4CM) Coordinator for TAMU (2013 – present) TASFAA Regional Training Committee (Co-Chair 2014, Chair 2015- 2016) Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Erin! Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Erin! 2004 Hired as full-time Advisor/Job Location and Development Coordinator University Advisor and Counselors Advisor Briefing Day committee, 2006 2007 Hired as full-time dedicated front counter Advisor (new position) Allowed to hire second full-time Advisor for front counter Asked to co-supervise the Peer Counselors SASEA Student Employee of the Year Committee Chair, 2007 University Advisor and Counselors Executive Board, 2007-2009 Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Erin! May 2010 Hired as Assistant Director of Team Service Newly created team comprised of front lobby and call center Advisors and Peer Counselors, and Short Term Loan programs TASFAA Training Committee (Member 2009-2012, Chair 2011-2012) May 2013 Hired as Assistant Director overseeing Processing Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Erin! 2016 Hired as Associate Director overseeing Team Service (call center), Advising, and Opportunities (student employment) SWASFAA Boot Camp Committee, 2017 Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Nick! Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Nick! 2008 Hired as full-time Advisor I for front counter 2009 Promoted to Advisor II Co-developed and taught a financial literacy first-year seminar course Developed SAP Program Integrity tools and procedures 2011 Promoted to Advisor III Front desk supervisor and Short Term Loan Program coordinator Aggieland Saturday Coordinator and UAC Executive Board Member Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Meet Nick! 2012 Hired as Assistant Director for Veteran Services Office Streamlined and automated the veterans’ education benefit processes Responded to internal (President) and external (LBB) data inquiries 2015 Hired as Assistant Director for newly created Money Education (ME) Center Board Member and Treasurer of the Texas Association of Collegiate Financial Education Professionals (TACFEP) Adjunct Faculty Member teaching the Foundations of Money Education 3-credit hour course Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

What Do TASFAA Leaders Say? Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

What Do TASFAA Leaders Say? A person must be self-motivated to learn all they can about financial aid and how things work. Curious enough to see where they can go if they wish and they must be willing to step up when needed to get the job done! Carolyn Jones Manager, Financial Aid Technical Programs Collin College Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

What Do TASFAA Leaders Say? They’re not the ones to wait for something to come to them.  They seek out opportunities.  They make recommendations for change.  They aren’t idle.  There’s probably a better word than go- getter, but that’s the only way I can describe it. Eric Cooper, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Texas A&M University-San Antonio Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

What Do TASFAA Leaders Say? Initiative takers- they seek new opportunities and volunteer for new challenges (and no, I don’t mean are voluntold) Knowledge seekers- they want to understand how and why things work and are curious and initiate their own fact finding on sites like IFAP, NASFAA, etc. Collaborators- they know how to collaborate with others (not just within financial aid but outside of financial aid as well) Compassionate- at their core, they are in it for students and balance policy with empathy well Consistent- we all have ebbs and flows, but these folks are solid in their knowledgebase and the way they treat students. Their service level is consistently great Erika Cox Director of One Stop Enrollment Center University of Texas - San Antonio Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Closing Thoughts Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Closing Thoughts Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Erin Porter eporter@tamu.edu 979-458-5401 Thank you! Erin Porter eporter@tamu.edu 979-458-5401