Sallie Mae Among BusinessWeek's Top Corporate Givers

RESTON, VA – SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae and the nation’s No. 1 paying for college company, was recognized as one of BusinessWeek’s Top Corporate Givers in 2003 in the publication’s annual survey.

Thanks to more than $14 million in contributions from The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, the company ranked 15th for cash gifts among 183 companies. In 2003, The Sallie Mae Fund’s contributions went toward a variety of higher education access programs, including:

• Scholarships to help more than 1,000 students enroll in college

• Producing and distributing more than 76,000 free educational guides on planning and paying for college in English and Spanish

• Funding the “College is Possible” national radio campaign, which reached 3.8 million listeners

• Producing and airing the “Paying for College and What You Should Know” educational program, which ran on eight ABC stations

• Funding more than 135 Paying for College workshops nationwide, including a 10-city First in My Family Paying for College tour for Latino families

An additional $2.5 million from Sallie Mae supported employees’ contributions through various philanthropic initiatives and corporate matching programs, including a grant to the Reading Is Fundamental National Book Program, which touched the lives of nearly 15,000 children.

“We know that education helps level the playing field for all our citizens, placing them on the path to opportunity and success,” said Albert L. Lord, chairman, The Sallie Mae Fund. “Through the Sallie Mae Fund, we support numerous programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their college investment and bridge the gap when no one else can.”

Scholarship applications for the 2005 school year will be available on The Sallie Mae Fund’s web site, www.salliemaefund.org, after Jan. 15.

SLM Corporation, commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of education funding, managing more than $98 billion in student loans for more than 7 million borrowers. The company primarily provides federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), and offers comprehensive information and resources to guide students, parents and guidance professionals through the financial aid process. Sallie Mae was established in 1973 as a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) called the Student Loan Marketing Association, and began the privatization process in 1997. Since then, the parent company name has changed, most recently to SLM Corporation. Through its specialized subsidiaries and divisions, Sallie Mae also provides an array of consumer credit loans, including those for lifelong learning and K-12 education, and business and technical products and services for colleges and universities. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, other than the Student Loan Marketing Association, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States.

The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission — to increase access to a postsecondary education for America’s students — by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information visit http://www.salliemaefund.org.