Joy Thomas
Director of Student Financial Aid
Prairie View A&M University 
SWASFAA

Joy Thomas has served in various roles throughout her 18-year career in financial aid. She had primarily worked at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), with stints at Georgia Southern University, Savannah State University, and currently at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

With professional experiences in student services and information technology, Joy has garnered administrative and technical knowledge that has enabled her to be successful in her career as a financial aid administrator.

“While serving in various capacities in financial aid, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the success of numerous minority, low-income students and I am continuing to strive to make an impact on those minority college students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to attend college,” Joy said. “I pride myself in knowing that I will one day become a leader who continues to develop creative and innovative methods of servicing diverse student populations.”

Joy said she strives to empower students by providing them with the resources necessary to access the available opportunities that higher education has to offer.

Learn more about Joy in the brief Q&A below.

How have you seen diversity in higher education change since you began your career?

On the campuses that I’ve worked at, I have seen the campus begin to diversify their faculty and staff, which offers students more worldviews for them to engage with. In addition, I have seen the student organizations merge in campus activities. This has allowed students to learn from peers with different perspectives shaped by a variety of experiences.

How did you get your start in financial aid?

While in graduate school pursuing my master’s degree in public administration at Georgia Southern University, I took a graduate assistantship position in the financial aid/scholarship office. It was definitely an experience! But it wasn’t a position that I felt was going to necessarily lead me to what I thought was going to be my career. However, I loved what I did and eventually, I knew that being in an educational environment was my destiny and what God called me to do.

The fulfillment I had knowing that what I do makes a difference in the lives of so many people is something that many will never experience. As time went by, I started refocusing and revising my goals to align more with my career growth within higher education. And by the grace of God, it has only been up from there!

How does your perspective impact how you do your job and approach financial aid?

As a financial aid administrator, we are trained on the extensive rules and regulations, as well as the customer service aspects of working to assist fellow students in navigating the complicated process of applying for and receiving financial aid. Within this process, you have to have an open mind and communicate in a way that allows you to listen to issues in its entirety from all constituents.

Everyone does not understand financial aid. Therefore, in a diverse environment, you must understand that there are no two cases/situations alike and you must be able to adjust and make unbiased decisions based on isolated situations.

What’s a challenge within financial aid that you personally have overcome that you're proud of?

Dealing with audits is one of the most challenging functions within a financial aid office. With rules and regulations changing so frequently, it’s very challenging to stay up to date on compliance — in addition to dealing with a million other demands that come along with working in a financial aid office.

However, knowing that you have successfully cleared audits from prior years is always a great feeling. In addition, it is a learning experience — one that will keep your school out of trouble in the future!

Any hidden talents?

Although I don’t often do this publicly, I love to sing! And I’ve been told I have a pretty nice voice!

Any professional or personal goals for 2023?

I am working on my public speaking skills. As I continue to take on the tasks of leading various committees, accompanying the vice presidents and the president to events, etc., I want to become more comfortable speaking among large crowds.