Sallie Mae Partners with EDU,
Inc. to Increase Access to College for African-American Youth |
Sallie Mae to Award College
Scholarships at 11 NBA Games as Part of Partnership |
(BLACK PR WIRE) RESTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 30, 2008–In
an effort to increase college access for underserved student
populations, Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving- and
paying-for-college company, has entered into a three-year
partnership with EDU, Inc. to provide educational materials and
scholarships to African-American young people.
EDU, Inc. administers the Common Black College Application,
which allows students to fill out a single application to apply
to 34 of the nation’s historically black colleges and
universities. To date, more than 60,000 students have used the
Common Black College Application to apply for college.
Recent studies show that the access gap for African-Americans
persists. According to Department of Education statistics, for
people age 25 and over in March 2005, blacks were about half as
likely as whites to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (17.7
percent, compared to 30.5 percent).
As part of the partnership, Sallie Mae has pledged to provide
paying-for-college and scholarship information to students who
use EDU, Inc.’s common application. In addition, through EDU,
Inc.’s outreach, middle school and high school students and
guidance counselors will receive access to the resources of
CollegeAnswer.com, Sallie Mae’s online educational tool.
CollegeAnswer.com offers the most comprehensive source of free,
interactive college-planning tools–from preparing for entrance
exams, to selecting a college, to paying for education.
The partnership will also help stem the tide of high school and
college dropouts among a particularly at-risk population–black
males.
Sallie Mae will collaborate with EDU, Inc. and 11 NBA teams to
reach African-American young men with information about
preparing for and getting into college. As part of the "Getting
African-American Males Educated" or "G.A.M.E." Initiative,
Sallie Mae will award a $500 college scholarship to one student
participating in the special events at selected NBA games.
"The EDU, Inc. Common Black College Application helps to
significantly increase the educational choices for students by
allowing them to use one application to apply to several
different colleges," said Robert Mason, president, EDU, Inc. "It
is imperative that students know their options when considering
where to go to college and how to pay for it. Sallie Mae’s
support of the EDU, Inc.
application and our G.A.M.E. Initiative demonstrates a strong
commitment to the students we serve."
G.A.M.E. events will take place in 11 locations and give high
school students the opportunity to meet and take photographs
with NBA players, hear presentations from community leaders,
identify mentors, complete EDU, Inc.’s Common Black College
Application, and watch an NBA game. Participating NBA teams
include the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat,
Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles
Lakers, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers,
and the Orlando Magic.
"Everyone should have the chance to grow into a dream, and with
a higher education, you can," said C.E. Andrews, president of
Sallie Mae. "That’s why Sallie Mae is proud to partner with EDU,
Inc. to increase college access for underserved student
populations. The partnership complements our mission of making
education accessible and affordable for all students at all
times of their lives."
The next G.A.M.E. event will take place at the Feb. 1 Washington
Wizards game, held in Washington, D.C. For more information
about EDU, Inc.’s Common Black College Application, the G.A.M.E.
Initiative, or to view clips from the G.A.M.E. events held in
Charlotte or Atlanta, go to:
www.eduinconline.com/eduweb.
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 nearly $164 billion in education loans and
serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its
Upromise affiliates, the company also manages $19 billion in 529
college-savings plans, and is the largest private source of
college funding contributions in America with 8.5 million
members and $400 million in member rewards. 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
www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are
not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
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