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| Wednesday, April 4, 2001 WRITER: Larry B. Dendy, 542-8078, ldendy@uga.edu CONTACT: Ray Tripp, 542-8208, rtripp@arches.uga.edu UGA FINANCIAL AID DIRECTOR RAY TRIPP TO RETIRE ATHENS, Ga. — Ray Tripp, who has been director of student financial aid at the University of Georgia for almost 22 years, has announced his retirement effective at the end of this month. Tripp, who has worked in the financial aid office since 1978, has accepted a job with edamerica, a firm that services student loans, and will be moving to Americus. Tripp joined the financial aid office as a counselor and served as associate director before becoming director in 1979. Before coming to UGA, he was director of student financial aid at Armstrong State College. UGA’s financial aid programs have undergone explosive growth during Tripp’s tenure. The office administered about $3.8 million in private and state loans and scholarships, and about $5 million in federal loans, grants and scholarships in 1978. A total of about 11,000 students received financial aid. In 1999, the office administered state, federal and private loans, grants and scholarships worth more than $137 million. This included about 37,090 awards to undergraduates worth $109.1 million, and 4,965 awards to graduate students worth $28.6 million. A total of 21,520 students received some form of financial aid. One of the most successful aid programs Tripp has overseen is the HOPE scholarship. Since the program began in 1993, a total of 38,696 UGA students has received HOPE awards worth more than $237.2 million. Other aid programs administered by the office include federal Pell Grants and Supplemental Grants, Perkins loans and other federal loan programs, Regents Opportunity Scholarships, and federal work-study programs. Tripp is a recognized leader among financial aid professionals, serving as an organizer and speaker for numerous conferences, seminars and other professional development programs. He has been president of the Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, secretary of the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and chairman of the student financial aid advisory council for the Georgia Student Finance Commission. He served on the Regents Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid, and has been on several University System of Georgia committees dealing with financial aid. He received the Leadership Award for the southern region of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the past president’s award for distinguished service from the Georgia association. |