Manager, Student Affordability

Guided by Like No Other, Athabasca University’s (AU) strategic plan, AU’s approach to accessible yet transformative education and research is truly distinctive. Our academic mission is to remove barriers to post-secondary education for learners, regardless of their age, location, career, or educational background.

Based in the beautiful region of Athabasca, Alberta, AU is one of four Comprehensive Academic and Research Universities (CARUs) in the province. We are a public, board-governed, open, and online university serving more than 37,000 students across Alberta, Canada, and around the world.

AU seeks to be an agile and inclusive workplace in which all team members can grow, make their highest contribution, and each make a difference to our academic vision and mission.

Led by President Dr. Alex Clark, AU is embarking on an exciting new chapter. Drawing from five decades of growth in distance and online education, we aim to grow our position as Canada’s foremost innovator in flexible, online and accessible learning. With an inclusive Senior Leadership Team dedicated to empowering every team member to contribute, learn and thrive, AU stands poised for an exciting and ambitious next stage of development.

Athabasca University's Office of the Registrar is recruiting for a Manager, Student Affordability.

This is a term full-time position ending 2028.

The Position:

The Manager, Student Affordability provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for initiatives that improve student financial accessibility, affordability, and financial well-being across the institution with a focus on the Office of the Registrar functions. This role leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of student affordability strategies, including financial literacy programming, fee structure review and optimization, student aid analysis, awards and scholarship policy development, and institutional fee implementation processes.

Working collaboratively with academic and administrative stakeholders, the Manager advances student success by ensuring financial supports, fees, and policies are transparent, sustainable, and aligned with the Like No Other strategic plan and government regulations.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Finance, Administration, Public Policy, or a related field; graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of applicable experience in a post secondary environment and/or related experience required.
• Progressive leadership experience in post-secondary administration, student financial services, finance, institutional planning, or policy development. Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects and institutional initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting complex datasets and developing strategic recommendations.
• Experience with student financial aid programs, fee management, awards administration, or related areas is an asset.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills.

A detailed job description can be viewed at:
Manager, Student Affordability.

Contact Information:
For more information regarding this role, please contact Angela Kuzyk, Registrar, at

Work at AU

A university like no other for people like no other

Athabasca University (AU) has widened access and increased opportunity to higher education for over 50 years for everyone by providing access to high-quality university education and professional development for students by removing physical, digital and systemic barriers to learning and success.

An open and online university, AU is a unique hybrid workplace with more than 1300 staff working across five faculties and six portfolios. From AU’s home on the Indigenous lands of Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Metis Northern Alberta, we are Alberta’s only rurally-situated university with:

• Over 37,000 students across five faculties—with 33,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students
• 900 courses over 70 programs—with choices from micro-credential and baccalaureate to masters and doctoral levels
• Some of the country’s most well established and largest accredited academic and professional programs in business,…