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11 NBA TEAMS TO HOST ‘GETTING AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES EDUCATED’ INITIATIVE

Student Loan Provider Sallie Mae to Award College Scholarships During G.A.M.E. Events

Atlanta, GA Oct. 24, 2007— In an effort to offset the disturbing number of black males who are opting to drop out of high school, 11 National Basketball Association (NBA) teams—including the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers—will host a “Getting African-American Males Educated” (G.A.M.E.) event before one of their 2007-2008 season games. 
 

According to 2005 statistics from the U.S. Dept. of Education, 12 percent of black males between the ages of 16 and 24 had dropped out of high school, compared to 6.6 percent of white males. Males in general dropped out in significantly greater numbers than females (10.8 percent and 8 percent, respectively).

EDU, Inc., the company responsible for the G.A.M.E. initiative, has partnered with several private and public companies in an attempt to stem the tide of high school dropouts among black males and increase their college enrollment rates. Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving- and paying-for-college company, will support the G.A.M.E. initiative this year by awarding a $500 scholarship during each G.A.M.E. event.  Students will also have access to Sallie Mae’s online educational resource, CollegeAnswer.com, which offers the most comprehensive source of free, interactive college-planning tools—from preparing for entrance exams, to selecting a college, to paying for education.

“Everyone should have the chance to grow into a dream, and with a higher education, you can,” said C.E. Andrews, CEO of Sallie Mae.  “That’s why Sallie Mae is proud to sponsor the G.A.M.E. events, which complement our mission of making education accessible and affordable for all students at all times of their lives.”

As G.A.M.E. participants, high school students from each team’s hometown area will be given the opportunity to hear brief presentations from community leaders, identify mentors, meet and be photographed with NBA players, complete the EDU, Inc. Common Black College Application, and ultimately watch an NBA game.

“We welcome the opportunities that the G.A.M.E. initiative presents to make an impact in the communities that we serve,” says William Gordner, group sales executive of the Atlanta Hawks.

Paul Bee, group events specialist of the Cleveland Cavaliers commented, “The Cleveland Cavaliers are proud to host the G.A.M.E. initiative and are looking forward to the chance to help the youth in the Cleveland area continue their education.”

“This initiative combines the celebrity of the NBA, the resources of companies like Sallie Mae, and the ability of EDU, Inc. to address some of the challenges black males face when attempting to graduate from high school and go on to college,” says the president of EDU, Inc., Robert Mason.  “We are expecting to have more than 20,000 students participate in the various G.A.M.E. events nationwide.  In addition, we will be targeting African-American and Latino males for the Miami G.A.M.E. event.”
 

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 EDU, Inc. (www.eduinconline.com) is the parent company that offers the Common Black College Application and publishes the Black College Source Magazine (BCS).  To date more than 50,000 students have used the EDU, Inc. Application to apply to the Member Institutions represented by the company.  The BCS is sent to more than 10,000 high schools and colleges nationwide. 
EDU, Inc. Recruiters visit more than 3000 high schools on behalf of the Member Institutions.

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 $160 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10 million student and parent customers.  Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and 8 million members have joined Upromise to help save for college with rewards on purchases at nearly 70,000 places.  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.