Faculty & Staff Spotlight - March 2026

Kolby Santiago, Acting Director, Financial Aid, DSA

Kolby started at UH Hilo in 1998 as a FWS student employee in the Financial Aid Office and since then has been a Casual Hire, Financial Aid Counselor, Assistant Director, Associate Director, and now the Acting Director of Financial Aid. Some of her responsibilities include coordinating and managing Financial Aid operations, process aid packages, work closely with staff members to adjust and update compliance processes, process special conditions and circumstance requests, including appeals, and most recently, focusing on surviving the eBanner conversion. Kolby said, “Financial Aid is very complicated and is always changing. There is so much to learn! I find myself constantly questioning what I thought I knew. But thankfully, I am super blessed with an amazing FA team and people in the UH Hilo ohana who encourage and support me. I thank God for them every day!”

“Kolby has successfully led Financial Aid Office through a difficult Banner upgrade. She has handled it with grace and patience. Kolby looks for the positive even in a challenging time. The efficiency of her and the FA team in preparing and packaging Financial Aid for students and meeting the compliance and hard deadlines all while navigating the new Banner uncertainty is nothing short of amazing.” Nominated by by Marcy Martinez, Director, Career Services