Sharon H. Bob

Dr. Sharon H. Bob is a higher education specialist in Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville's education practice.

Sharon is an expert at navigating the complex and vastly regulated field of higher education and federal financial assistance. Public and private colleges and universities rely upon Sharon’s expertise to help them prepare for Department of Education program reviews or accreditation visits, respond to program reviews and audits, conduct training on the administration of the federal financial aid programs, implement policies and procedures that are compliant with applicable statutes and regulations, provide legislative and regulatory updates, and find ways to limit liabilities following a program review or audit.

Sharon’s value to clients lies in her ability to expedite an institution’s application using her know-how of the Department of Education and many state bureaucracies. Equally appreciated is her ability to understand a client’s problem, concern, or confusion and then provide straightforward solutions.

Sharon’s early career served as the basis for her development into an authority on higher education policy and regulation. While in graduate school, Sharon worked for the Montgomery College Office of Financial Aid. Her next position with the College as Director of Financial Aid led her to conduct training for the Department of Education (then the U.S. Office of Education under the Department of Health, Education & Welfare), the College Board, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and other regional and state organizations. She then ran the Scholarship Programs for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which led to a fellowship with the U.S. Office of Education, where she was engaged in congressional relations and involved in the Office’s transition to the U.S. Department of Education.

Sharon then went to work for a four-year university, where she was charged with various responsibilities from running a campus to the development of its self-study program that met the requirements of both a national and a regional accrediting agency, as well as conducting numerous accrediting visits throughout both the United States and Europe. Sharon then determined she could best be of service by teaming up with a complementary legal practice and contributing the knowledge and experience gained from these earlier positions in a consulting capacity.

Sharon has authored numerous articles on federal financial aid issues for Career Education Review, where she writes a monthly column, NASFAA's Journal of Student Financial Aid, NASFAA's Student Aid Transcript, the Career College Link, and other higher education publications. With her outstanding knowledge of the education industry, she is frequently invited to speak at meetings of college officials, student aid administrators, and state regulators to provide legislative and regulatory updates.