[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8772-S8773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHARLES KELLEY

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Charles 
``Charlie'' Kelley, executive director of the Rhode Island Student Loan 
Authority, RISLA, on his upcoming retirement and to thank him for his 
34 years of service to students, families, and educators across Rhode 
Island and the U.S.
  Throughout his career, Charlie's north star has been ensuring that 
students and families have affordable, safe options to finance 
postsecondary education. Charlie joined RISLA in 1991 as deputy 
director and quickly advanced to become executive director. He has 
guided RISLA through the changing and complex landscape of student 
lending. He expanded RISLA's services to include financial support for 
student internship programs, employer-based student loan repayment 
programs, and targeted loan forgiveness programs to meet critical 
workforce needs in Rhode Island.
  Charlie was the driving force behind RISLA's College Planning Center, 
which has become Rhode Island's leading college planning agency. For 
the past two decades, the College Planning Center has provided free 
guidance to students and families navigating complicated and unfamiliar 
financial decisions. It has helped students file the Free Application 
for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, understand their financial aid award 
letters, and select the college that is right for them. I know 
firsthand how effective the College Planning Center is because it has 
helped me and my family.
  Another innovation Charlie helped establish is Financial Aid Nights, 
which we host together each year to give college-bound students and 
families the chance to learn firsthand from financial aid experts and 
connect with resources to help them plan for and finance college.
  Charlie's impact goes beyond Rhode Island, as his influence can be 
seen throughout the Federal student aid community. He brought his 
expertise and advocacy for college affordability to the national level, 
where he served

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as a member and chairman of the Education Finance Council Board of 
Directors. During his time there, Charlie advanced the council's 
mission of making postsecondary education more accessible and 
encouraging responsible borrowing.
  Nobody understands better than Charlie that higher education should 
be within reach of students regardless of their financial means. I 
thank him for his unwavering dedication to families in Rhode Island and 
around the country. Because of the foundation Charlie has built, RISLA 
will continue to thrive and serve generations of Rhode Islanders to 
come.
  I join so many of Charlie's colleagues and peers in thanking him for 
his friendship and kindness and in wishing him a happy and healthy 
retirement in the company of his wife Leslie; children Andrew and 
Caroline; and granddaughter Zoe. He has earned it.

                          ____________________