Company Recognized for 'Mission Possible' College-Planning Toolkit Produced
by The Sallie Mae Fund
RESTON, Va., April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM),
the nation's leading saving and paying for college company, has been named
the winner of the 2007 Insight Award for Customer Advocacy in Financial
Services. The company was specifically recognized for The Sallie Mae Fund's
"Mission Possible" college-planning toolkit, a free, bilingual toolkit that
helps students and families understand how to prepare and pay for college.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a )
The mission of The Sallie Mae Fund, the philanthropic arm of Sallie
Mae, is to increase access to higher education for low-income and minority
students. Developed in partnership with the National Association for
College Admission Counseling, the toolkit demystifies for what many
families consider to be a daunting task: planning and paying for higher
education. "Mission Possible" is a 36-page resource that includes practical
and objective information about preparing for college, getting into college
and paying for college, as well as a glossary of terms and sample financial
aid forms. The toolkit is handed out at The Sallie Mae Fund's free "Paying
for College" seminars. In 2006, more than 80,000 toolkits were distributed
to students and families. A Spanish version is also available, and both
guides can be downloaded at http://www.salliemaefund.org.
"Too many students and families assume that the dream of college is
beyond their reach and are unaware that federal aid, state aid and
scholarships are available to all families," said Tom Joyce, Sallie Mae
Vice President of Corporate Communications. "Our goal is to close this
information gap and help all students and families realize that the dream
of college is possible."
The "Mission Possible" toolkit was one of six finalists selected by an
independent panel of industry experts that included Deborah Bosley, Ph.D.,
Director of the Center for Writing, Language, and Literacy, UNC Charlotte;
Lynette DeWitt, Associate Director, Retail Investment Markets, Financial
Research Corporation; Michael Ellison, Executive Vice President, Corporate
Insight; and Bill Wreaks, Editor and Publisher, The Journal of Financial
Advertising and Marketing.
"Sallie Mae did an excellent job of presenting complicated information
to a relatively inexperienced audience," said Steve Weissman, Director of
Insight Forums. "Young students and their families should benefit greatly
from the effort, which our judges endorsed whole-heartedly."
For 34 years, Sallie Mae has helped millions of Americans achieve their
dream of higher education. The company believes that a college degree
should be within the reach of every American, regardless of their
background or financial status. For more information about The Sallie Mae
Fund's "Mission Possible" toolkit or to access free materials visit
http://www.salliemaefund.org.
SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the
nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The
company manages $142 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10
million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the
company also manages $15 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and assists
more than 7.5 million members with automatic savings through rebates on
everyday purchases. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management
services as well as business and technical products to a range of business
clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors,
and state and federal agencies. More information is available at
http://www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored
by or agencies of the United States of America.
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.
About Insight Forums: Insight Forums produces focused collegial events
that bring marketing, technology, compliance, and operations professionals
together to present and discuss methods for improving communications
strategy and production. Reflecting its focus on business and technical
best practices, it presents Insight Awards to winners in both financial
services and health care. Additional information is available on the Web at
http://www.insightforums.com or by calling Steve Weissman at 617.646.4140.
SOURCE Sallie Mae
back to top
