Holliday joins PC as director of financial aid

Nov. 6, 2006

Jeff Holliday of Anderson, S.C., has joined Presbyterian College as its new director of financial aid.

Holliday, a native of Belton, S.C., joined the college's admissions and financial aid staff this month after ten and a half years as director of financial aid at Anderson University.

"We are pleased to have someone with Jeff's experience and knowledge join our financial aid team," said dean of admissions and financial aid Leni Patterson. "His approach to working with students and parents fits well with our aim here at PC – to treat them as individuals and work with them to put together a package that makes a PC education affordable."

A graduate of Anderson College, Holliday earned a bachelor's degree in history from Winthrop University and a master's degree in human resource development from Clemson University. He served as director of Sunshine House Inc., a center for preparing young children for kindergarten, prior to joining the staff at Anderson University and continues to operate Christian College Solutions, LLC, a financial aid consulting service for small, denominational affiliated colleges.

He currently serves as vice president of the South Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. In his role as vice president of the SCASFAA, he has been responsible for professional development within the association and has conducted training for new aid officers on behalf of the NASFAA.

Now at PC, Holliday said he hopes to enjoy every aspect of working in a new environment – especially working with an experienced and friendly staff.

"What I really like about Presbyterian College was the fact that I have an office that has more than 70 years combined financial aid experience," he said. "That's a real plus for me. I also like that it feels like home. It feels like family. Everyone is close-knit and eager to help you out."

During his first visits to campus as a candidate for financial aid director, Holliday said he learned quickly that he and PC would make a good team.

"I came down here three times during the month of October and each time that decision was affirmed," he said. "I know I made the right decision. I'm really pleased to be part of a school of such quality and hope to help PC achieve and continue to grow."

Holliday said he looks forward as well to bringing his own experiences to PC.

"I worked a lot at Anderson combining partnerships with the admissions office and the business office – making the recruiting arm not just admissions but admissions and financial aid working together to make financial aid an effective tool for recruiting and not just a means to an end," he said.

Holliday said he recognizes his office's unique role in making a college education possible.

"The first thing parents need to know is that PC is very affordable," he said. "PC offers a great array of scholarship programs. … We always talk about the benefits of a college education, and financial aid is an important piece. It's not only the grants and scholarships but also the total financial aid package, including loans and borrowing wisely. But people need to hear that private higher education is not unaffordable."

Holliday and his wife, Heather, have two children – Thomas and Ashton.