Pittsburg State University hires new financial aid director

With students searching for assistance with their tuition this fall, it has been a whirlwind beginning for the new director of Student Financial Assistance at Pittsburg State University.
Tammy Higgins, a former assistant director in financial aid, has returned to lead the office after the retirement of longtime director Marilyn Haverly. Higgins began her new role June 29.
With approximately 85 percent of PSU’s student body receiving some sort of financial assistance, the remaining weeks leading into the fall semester are a busy time.
“There’s a lot of change happening in student loan programs, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that turns out,” Higgins said. “I know I have big shoes to fill.”
Raised in Oswego, Higgins made a career working for area college students in need of financial help. After a job in admissions for Labette Community College, she began working in financial aid at PSU in 1993. She left in 2000 to accept the director of financial aid position at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, where she worked for the past nine years.
“I’ve always loved it here. PSU has been my favorite place to work,” she said. “The people here are like family. I’m excited to be back.”
Higgins earned a bachelor’s degree in management technology from Missouri Southern State University in 1994. She will complete her master’s degree in educational leadership from PSU in 2010.
She is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), and was positioned to be the upcoming treasurer of the Oklahoma Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators before making the move to Kansas.
She and her husband, George, live in Carl Junction, Mo., with their two children.