RESTON, Va., Sept. 11, 2009—Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving, planning and paying for education company, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the 24th Annual Black Family Reunion Celebration in Washington, D.C. The free family festival will take place this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12 and 13, on the National Mall.
As the sponsor of the Education Pavilion, Sallie Mae will present resources and information about making the investment in higher education and maintaining healthy credit. Financial aid experts will offer presentations of a free college budgeting tool and provide tips on researching scholarships. An interactive CD-ROM geared for African-American students from the company’s philanthropic arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, “The Key: An Interactive Guide to Planning and Paying for College,” will also be available. This resource offers guidance for essay writing, completing college applications, and applying for financial aid.
Sallie Mae recommends that families follow its “1-2-3 approach” to paying for college: first, tap “free money” such as grants and scholarships, supplemented by savings; second, fully explore federal loans; and third, if necessary, fill any gap with private student loans.
The Black Family Reunion Celebration’s theme, “Renewing, Reviving and Reconnecting the Family and Community,” honors African-American heritage and the commitment to rebuilding African-American communities. Created in 1986 by human rights activist Dr. Dorothy I. Height, chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, the Black Family Reunion Celebration is recognized as one of the nation’s largest family events attracting more than 500,000 people annually. Festival activities, which are free to the public, will include theme pavilions for issues concerning children, teens and young adults, education, sports and fitness, men, and health for women and family.
Festival activities will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about the 24th Annual Black Family Reunion, go to: www.ncnw.org/events/reunion.htm.
For more information contact:
Erica Eriksdotter (703) 984-5628
SLM Corporation (NYSE:
SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading saving, planning and paying for education company. Sallie Mae’s saving programs, planning resources and financing options have helped more than 31 million people make the investment in higher education. Through its subsidiaries, the company manages $176 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. In addition, the company’s Upromise program has enabled 11 million members to earn more than $525 million in rewards to help pay for college. Its Upromise affiliates also manage more than $23 billion in 529 college-savings plans. Sallie Mae offers services to a range of institutional clients, including colleges and universities, 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.