Ben Chenault had a good career working in the financial services industry, but for him, something was missing.

“I always felt I trying to sell something instead of helping people,” he said.

Chenault found the change he was seeking in a position in the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse financial aid office, where he spent 14 years learning all aspects of the field. In April of 2024, he became the director of financial aid at Viterbo University.

“Viterbo provided a growth opportunity, and I have been grateful to be here ever since,” said Chenault, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “It’s been incredibly rewarding helping students and families to afford higher education and earn a college degree.”

The interconnectedness of campus departments and community is one of the things Chenault has enjoyed the most during his time at Viterbo. From keeping current with regulatory changes and federal law to dispersing funds, Chenault’s duties are many, but all are done in support of a simple goal.

“We make sure students get access to their financial aid as accurately and effectively as possible,” Chenault. “The number one thing is always serving students, and we do that with a customer service mindset. Sometimes families just need help understanding what resources are available. There are challenging parts of the job, but helping students and families is easy.”

Outside of work, Chenault enjoys watching his sons compete in school sports, hunting, fishing, being on the water in summer, and spending time with he and his wife’s close group of friends on weekends.

November is traditionally a busy time for Chenault and his staff, and they are hard at work doing their part in recruiting the next class of students.

“Right now, we’re focused on packaging financial aid estimates and getting them out to incoming freshmen between Thanksgiving and New Years,” he said.