W&L Names Chadwick New Financial Aid Head
Washington and Lee University has selected Susan Chadwick as its next director of financial aid, replacing James Kaster who will retire at the conclusion of the academic year after 26 years with the university and 16 years as the director of financial aid.
Chadwick will report to Sally Stone Richmond, vice president for admissions and financial aid, and officially begins her W&L appointment July 1.
Chadwick will be responsible for the development and implementation of financial aid strategies, policies and procedures to serve W&L’s strategic goals and to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations and statutes. She will be instrumental in developing and implementing policies, managing office operations and providing leadership for six professional staff.
She will be tasked with ensuring the highest standard of customer service while overseeing a comprehensive aid portfolio serving both undergraduate and law students. The university employs a need-blind admissions policy and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with packages that do not include loans.
“I am thrilled to join Vice President Richmond’s enrollment team as the next leader of the financial aid office at Washington and Lee,” said Chadwick. “When I first stepped on campus, I immediately saw the university’s strong sense of community and dedication to its students. W&L’s high retention rate and commitment to meeting 100% of financial need reflect the administration’s strong support for student success, and I look forward to continuing the positive work of the financial aid team.”
Chadwick comes to W&L from the College Board, where she leads product ownership for the CSS Profile — the nation’s primary nonfederal financial aid application — and the IDOC imaging and document processing system.
Prior to joining the College Board, Chadwick spent nearly five years at Bryn Mawr College, first as director of financial aid and later as dean of financial aid. Before Bryn Mawr, Chadwick served as associate director of financial aid at Lawrence University from 2016 to 2018 and Scripps College from 2014 to 2016. She also held a variety of roles in the admissions office at Beloit College from 2009 to 2013 and was a graduate assistant for law school admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master of Science in education in 2014. Chadwick also holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and religious studies from Lawrence University.
