SASFAA Nine News

Tener to lead Office of Student Financial Aid at Vanderbilt

by Kara Furlong | Posted on Thursday, May. 15, 2014 — 8:00 AM

Brent Tener (Vanderbilt University)

Brent Tener, associate director of student financial aid and director of undergraduate scholarships at Vanderbilt, has been named director of the Office of Student Financial Aid and Undergraduate Scholarships following a national search, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions Douglas L. Christiansen announced May 15.

Tener, who has worked in financial aid at Vanderbilt for more than two decades, will assume his new role July 1. He succeeds David Mohning, who is retiring from Vanderbilt after 23 years of service.

“With Brent’s experience at Vanderbilt and on the national scene and his outstanding understanding of financial aid, we realized that we had the best person in our own backyard,” Christiansen said. “Brent was instrumental in the development of Opportunity Vanderbilt and is particularly knowledgeable about access issues for low- and middle-income students.”

Since coming to Vanderbilt in 1992, Tener has been involved in almost every aspect of the university’s financial aid operation with increasing levels of collaboration, oversight and responsibility. He was integrally involved in the implementation of the PeopleSoft Financial Aid module during the 2001-02 academic year and has continued in an oversight capacity since that time, helping to mold the system to support Vanderbilt’s ever-changing enrollment management needs. Tener was named associate director of student financial aid in 2005 and director of undergraduate scholarships in 2008.

In addition to his work on campus, he has represented Vanderbilt in financial aid trade associations at the state, regional and national levels. He currently serves as an elected member to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators Board of Directors as well as an appointed member to NASFAA’s Reauthorization Task Force. Through his efforts, Tener has helped to shape the national conversation on financial aid and enrollment management policy and is well versed in emerging financial aid issues and trends.

“It is a great honor to lead Vanderbilt’s efforts in making a world-class education possible to students regardless of their economic circumstances. Vanderbilt is a national leader in providing access and affordability, and my challenge is to make sure we communicate this message effectively to prospective students and then deliver on this promise,” Tener said.

Tener came to Vanderbilt from Wichita State University, where he worked in undergraduate admissions and the Office of Student Financial Planning and Assistance. He received his B.A. in political science from Wichita State in 1987, and his M.Ed. in counseling with an emphasis in higher education administration from Wichita State in 1993.