The Ramsey Honors Scholarship was created by the trustees of The University of Georgia Foundation in 2000 and is named for the university’s most generous individual benefactor, the late Bernard Ramsey (BS ’37), long-time chairman of the board of Merrill Lynch.

Ramsey Scholars are selected through the Foundation Fellows application process. The program welcomed eight new students this year, with a total of 38 Ramsey Scholars now studying on the UGA campus. In-state Ramsey Scholars receive a $5,250 annual stipend along with the HOPE Scholarship, while out-of-state students receive a $8,450 stipend and an out-of-state tuition waiver, currently worth over $18,000 per year. This year’s Ramsey Scholars had an average SAT score of 1551 and an average ACT score of 35. Their high school grade point average was a 4.23 on a 4.0 scale (indicating extra points for Advanced Placement classes).

An additional $3,000 is available to each Ramsey Scholar for travel-study.

Students enjoy Ramsey community events throughout the year, including a fall kick-off dinner, a weekend retreat in the North Georgia mountains, book discussions and dinner seminars with premier faculty (and a linguistically gifted African Grey parrot named Cosmo), kayaking down the Broad River, the Ramsey senior send-off, and the Ramsey graduation banquet.

Dr. Betty Jean Craige, Director, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts“Discussions of Zoya’s Story and Three Cups of Tea with the very bright Ramsey Scholars were highlights of my academic year. I loved the dinners at my house where the dozen of us – in lively conversation – gained insight into Afghanistan and Pakistan through those books.”

It should come as no surprise that Ramseys are among the most decorated students on the UGA campus. In the past year, Ramsey Scholars were recognized with membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Blue Key, and other honor societies, and students received a host of other prestigious and well-deserved honors, including the Mitchell Scholarship, which was awarded to Betsy Katz for graduate study in Ireland.

Ramsey Retreat - Class of 2011

Ramsey Retreat - Class of 2012

Ramsey Retreat - Class of 2013

Ramsey Retreat - Class of 2014