Kell was devoted to helping students attend UW

During his tenure in the Office of Student Financial Aid, Terry Kell was devoted to assisting UW–Madison students receiving loans and financial aid.

“Terry would talk through finances with people who were in serious economic straits,” says Susan Fischer, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, noting that Kell personally reached out to many students with federal Perkins loans who were having trouble making payments.
 
On May 23, Kell passed away from cancer; he was 60. The assistant director of the Student Loan Servicing Unit within the Office of Student Financial Aid, Kell was a friend and colleague to many in the community.

Kell studied and lived in Wisconsin his entire life. In addition to working in the Office of Student Financial Aid, he was active with the Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations as an expert, advocate for the Perkins Loan program and a speaker.  He also won several awards during his years of working with the COHEAO, including the Institutional Member of the Year award in 2010.

His leadership was instrumental when the Office of Student Financial Aid moved from the University Club to the new Student Services Tower at 333 East Campus mall in 2008. Kell earned the respect of many colleagues and members of the Facilities Planning and Management team as he helped the office transition to its new home.

What made Kell such an advocate for student financial aid at UW–Madison was his commitment to calling on Congress to support the federal Perkins Loan program.

 “This program does a great job of providing access as it is structured to recycle funds from past students to current and incoming students at a very low cost; it is extraordinarily efficient.” says Fischer. “He worked very hard to make sure the money was available for students who needed it by focusing on good collecting practices.”

In addition to helping borrowers with personal financial problems, Kell was also the heart and soul of his unit at the Office of Student Financial Aid.  Fischer noted that one of the major contributions Kell made to the office was instilling in his staff that everything they do should be done with integrity and heart.

“Anyone can be an expert,” says Fischer. “But everyone in the office just adored him.”

She added that students may never have recognized him on the street, but he was a classic behind-the-scenes guy who embraced his role thematically and positively.