Assistant Director, Student Services – Veteran School Certifying Official

Illinois Institute of Technology

Assistant Director for Student Services supporting veteran student needs and financial aid processing at Illinois Institute of Technology. Collaborating across departments to enhance student experience and compliance for veterans.

Posted 7/27/2026full-timeChicago • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesEntry Level💰 $55,000 - $60,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in financial aid processes, including FAFSA completion, loan management, and veteran benefits administration. Strong ability to counsel and support students, particularly veterans, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and enhancing the overall student experience.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Financial Aid CounselingVeteran Benefits AdministrationFAFSA CompletionRegulatory ComplianceStudent Support Services

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Financial Aid ProcessingVerification ProceduresSAP Appeals ManagementData ValidationRecord Retention

Soft Skills

LeadershipCollaborationCommunicationProblem-SolvingCustomer Service

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree

Industry Keywords

Veterans AffairsFederal ComplianceCost TransparencyMilitary ExperienceEnrollment Services

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Counsel students (in person, virtually, over phone, and email) on all aspects of the financial aid process, including FAFSA completion, cost of attendance, awarding of federal funds, loan borrowing and management, financial hardship situations, etc.
Serve as member of counseling team to support student appointments (in-person & virtual) and walk-in needs.
Assist in the direction of student inquiries to other staff as needed and provide leadership to the counseling staff for escalation needs.
Meet with students in a co-terminal program to ensure aid receipt based on enrollment is understood so students can plan course schedule accordingly.
In support of the Director of Financial Aid Services, provide escalation assistance for all service needs with a solution mindset to support the student experience and positive team culture.
Process ROTC funds for eligible students; coordinate with each branch to ensure timely process each term and assist students in understanding impact on overall aid offer.
Oversee financial aid processing needs for key populations such as part-time scholarship requests, reinstatements, and scholar programs.
Assist with reconciliation and discrepancies with Student Accounting for veteran and special populations going through third-party billing.
Assist with completion of financial aid processes including but not limited to verification, c-flags, private loan processing, etc.
Process financial aid hardship appeals in accordance with federal professional judgement guidelines.
Process satisfactory academic progress (SAP) appeals to review students in continued eligibility for federal aid.
Adhere to all VA principles of excellence to provide high quality services and support to veteran students.
Certify enrollment and benefits each term for benefits eligible students, including allowable tuition and fees; monitoring any changes in enrollment or aid to ensure accuracy and ensure VA benefits are processed as last payer with all other applicable aid by working closely with the Offices of the Registrar and Student Accounting.
Ensure cost transparency based on VA guidelines with the maintenance of the shopping sheet in conjunction with the Senior Financial Aid Director.
Provide timely support for all veteran student data for annual financial audits and periodic veteran compliance surveys.
Supply data validation for all veteran student reporting requirements, including internal and external requirements such as IPEDS and USNews surveys.
Monitor students standards of progress and report ineligible students to the VA accordingly.
Maintain proper record retention in accordance with the VA guidelines.
Counsel students processing veteran benefits on financial, enrollment, and any other needs that may arise to support overall student success for this population.
Liaise needs internally to ensure veteran students have holistic support throughout academic career.
Working collaboratively with admissions, marketing, financial aid, and academic affairs units for the purpose of recruiting military students, including attending events to support enrollment and retention.
Remain current regarding state, federal, and university regulations and policies related to veterans benefits and federal compliance.
Support the development of and serve on a Veterans Services task force with key stakeholders from enrollment, academics, and student affairs to develop and support a robust veteran experience at Illinois Tech.
Collaborate the delivery of special veterans related programming (ex: Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and veterans support groups) with key campus stakeholders.
Conducts training for faculty and staff on matters related to veteran student needs.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelors required.
Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in veterans affairs, financial aid, admissions, or enrollment services.
Military Veteran or knowledge of military experience, benefits, and transcripts is beneficial.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Our commitment to employee well-being is reflected in our competitive benefits package located here: https://www.iit.edu/hr/benefits