LYNN HAVEN, FL., Nov. 11, 2009—Representative Allen Boyd (D-FL) along with local officials visited Sallie Mae’s Panama City facility to discuss student loan reform legislation that could impact hundreds of jobs in Panama City. In his fight for jobs and competition and choice for students, Representative Boyd voted against legislation requiring all loans to be delivered by the federal government. The legislation jeopardizes 700 Sallie Mae jobs in Bay County and stifles related economic development in the state.
“Sallie Mae is one of our most vibrant and reliable employers in North Florida," said Congressman Boyd. “I will continue working to protect these valuable jobs and preserving the current student lending infrastructure that has served our students and schools well for years.”
With legislation now under consideration in the U.S. Senate, Rep. Boyd is working with local officials and thousands of state residents to call on Florida’s Senators to support a viable alternative which would accomplish the President’s goals of making college more affordable, produce $87 billion in mandatory budget savings and preserve quality local jobs and valuable services for students. Last month, Sallie Mae employees in Florida delivered a community-led petition with more than 23,000 signatures from concerned citizens urging Congress to support the alternative.
“Congressman Boyd’s efforts have been nothing short of heroic for the employees here at Sallie Mae, and for college students who value choice and competitive services like the ones we provide,” said Renee Mang, senior vice president at Sallie Mae. “We are grateful that he supports a solution that protects good, family-supporting jobs like these—jobs that add over $40 million a year to our local economy and support countless community businesses and organizations.”
For more information on the “Protect Florida Jobs” petition campaign or to learn more about alternative proposals to make college more affordable, please visit www.ProtectFloridaJobs.com.
For more information contact:
Rick Castellano (703) 984-5535
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.