[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2604-S2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO NOEL SIMPSON

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Noel Simpson, 
senior director of the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA), on 
his upcoming retirement and thank him for his more than three decades 
of service dedicated to Rhode Island students, families, and educators.
  Noel joined RISLA as a consultant in 1993. At the time, Noel was one 
of just the handful of employees managing the duties of the 
organization. Over the next several years, Noel led the rapid expansion 
of RISLA, developing a full team of professional staff and allowing the 
organization to become a leading voice on student loans and financial 
services in Rhode Island. As RISLA grew, Noel's career did as well, 
with Noel rising through the ranks and being named chief financial 
officer, deputy director, and eventually senior director.
  For the last 25 years, I have been proud to team up with Noel and 
RISLA to host our annual ``Financial Aid Nights.'' These workshops are 
dedicated to giving college-bound students and families a chance to 
learn firsthand from student aid experts about how to access financial 
aid opportunities for college. Students learn about financial aid 
eligibility criteria and the application process, such as completing 
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The goal of this 
workshop is to educate students who need help paying for college, 
helping students navigate complicated and unfamiliar financial 
decisions. Noel has regularly served as moderator for these sessions, 
sharing his deep expertise and enthusiasm for student aid and financial 
literacy and making higher education more accessible.
  Indeed, Noel has been instrumental in bringing a variety of resources 
to college hopeful students throughout the Ocean State. For many years, 
Noel brought College Planning Sunday to Rhode Island, where high school 
seniors gathered to learn about how to

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apply for financial aid. Noel also spearheaded the creation of RISLA's 
College Planning Center, a free service that works directly with 
thousands of students to guide them through the college application 
process, including everything from writing a strong essay to selecting 
a college that best fits their goals. As the father of a high school 
senior, I can personally attest to the invaluable service the College 
Planning Center provides.
  Today, RISLA helps thousands of Rhode Islanders plan for and finance 
college, a number that has grown exponentially under Noel's leadership. 
His dedication has opened the door of higher education for a generation 
of Rhode Islanders. That is a legacy that has made a difference for our 
State and for students and families.
  I join so many of Noel's colleagues and peers in thanking him for his 
friendship and kindness and in wishing him a happy and healthy 
retirement, filled with new adventures, in the company of his wife 
Patti and their children. He has earned it.

                          ____________________