Diversity equals strength
We’re building a culture where everyone can be themselves, fearlessly belong, and do their best work.
Jon Witter
Chief Exective Officer
At Sallie Mae, we succeed when each of our team members can fully contribute and grow while supporting our important mission. Fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is the right thing to do and it’s right for our business.
Creating a diverse, inclusive, and engaged workforce
We’re focused on providing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace—where team members feel seen, understood, respected, valued, safe, recognized, and rewarded. With DEI at the heart of our mission and culture, Sallie Mae aspires to be the most inclusive and just workplace in America.
Hourly employees (non-exempt)
Professionals (exempt)
Managers
Senior level +
.
Promoting a greater sense of belonging
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is at the heart of our culture, and in 2023, we elevated our commitment. Our transformative and ongoing journey continues to empower our workforce. Committed to transparency, Chief Diversity Officer Kathy Edwards introduced the company’s DEI framework to team members during our 2023 DEI State of the Union.
How we’ll get there:
Build awareness
Expand participation
Enable people managers
DEI is my passion and my commitment to every employee at Sallie Mae. As an advocate, I’m dedicated to ensuring everyone is heard and to advance a culture where our team members can be themselves and fearlessly belong to do their best work.
Kathy Edwards
Chief Diversity Officer
Milestones and progress
Jun
$100K supporting Point Foundation college scholarships for LGBTQ+ students
DEI State of the Union
Apr
Improved accessibility by meeting the AA standard with the launch of Scholarship Search and College Search
Mar
Launched first HBCU student focused podcast
Feb
Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown hosted The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions webinar focusing on first generation students
Dec
$1M endowment funding DSU “Persistence and Completion Pilot Program”
$1M in scholarships to expand access to higher education in partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Updated brand guidelines, photography, and voice approach for inclusion
Nov
Began releasing Spanish-language webinars
Sep
$200K sponsorship for 2023 HBCU week and college fair
Best places to work for belongingness in US News survey
Aug
DEI council expansion
Jun
DEI State of the Union
Apr
DEI added to ESG report
Jan
100% of HBCUs supported by a dedicated relationship manager
Sep
$100K sponsorship for 2022 HBCU week and college fair
Jul
Donna Vieira named one of Savoy’s 2022 Most Influential Black Executives
Apr
LGBTQ+ support added to CSR report cover
Jan
DEI council established
HBCU strategy rollout in support of the Sallie Mae mission to help all students along their unique journeys
Nov
Board diversity: Sam Ramsey appointed to board as a member of the LGBTQ+ community
Oct
Quiet days added to reinforce inclusion
Jun
Began publishing DEI social media content starting with Pride Month
May
Chief Diversity Officer role established
Mar
Board diversity: Ted Manvitz appointed to board as first Black member
Jun
$4.5M commitment to promote diversity in higher education and advance social justice
Board diversity: Carter Franke becomes first woman to chair SLM board
Moving DEI forward
We’ve made significant strides to advance our DEI framework. Explore all our new resources.
We launched a campaign showcasing ways to celebrate, honor, and learn about each other. It enables team members to expand their perspective and knowledge as we celebrate the many aspects of Sallie Mae diversity. Throughout the year, we honor observance months tied to our demographics by featuring those whose innovations, heroics, education, activism, and entertainment helped shaped who we are. We also highlight featured voices of Sallie Mae, relevant resources, and encourage team members to share why these observances are important to them.
In 2024, we are piloting ERGs open to all team members as another step towards fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can feel like they belong. ERGs are voluntary groups led by employees connected by shared characteristics or life experiences.
We have also launched a new affinity group exploring books, podcasts, and articles supporting the advancement and career development of women in the workplace.
In 2024, we are piloting a mentoring program open to all team members as another step in creating a sense of belonging, fostering our future leaders, and diversifying perspectives.
We are building a culture of inclusive leadership. Numerous cohorts have participated in an interactive course led by the Chief Diversity Officer. This session is embedded in our management training, enabling people managers to become inclusive leaders. Sessions are planned throughout 2024 and beyond.
We have a DEI hub available to all team members providing monthly updates, additional resources to increase awareness and engagement, and numerous methods for team member feedback.
We created an Engage DEI Community where everyone's voice is welcome and important to discuss topics such as neurodiversity and microaggressions.
We introduced an inclusive meeting guide to help ensure all voices are heard. A team member shared, “Using the inclusive meeting guide was a total game changer in my larger team meetings with different personalities. I was able to ensure everyone had a chance to talk about what they needed, in a space where they could feel comfortable and heard. It was one of the most productive meetings ever.”
We grew our DEI council by 50%, extended membership to employees at all levels of the company, and broadened perspectives and voices. Sallie Mae’s DEI Council consists of team members committed to fostering organizational change for DEI priorities with membership reflecting the diversity of Sallie Mae. The council works to enable a culture where all team members feel seen, heard, valued, understood, have a sense of belonging and connection with one another, and feel empowered to do their best work.
Continuing our
DEI commitment
In 2023, Sallie Mae committed a $1 million research endowment to Delaware State University (DSU) to fund a three-year “Persistence and Completion Pilot Program” to better understand the barriers to college completion and close those gaps. This initiative is a significant step forward in our ongoing commitment to support access and completion for all students, particularly those at HBCUs.
The program aims to understand and overcome obstacles to degree completion, facilitate the return to school of students who have some college but no degree, and develop policy recommendations and best practices that can be deployed at institutions nationwide. Our endowment establishes a dedicated research fellow at DSU and scales their existing completion program. The program also earmarks $125,000 to assist students with scholarships to address food and technology insecurities in addition to tuition, fees, books, and transportation. Students will also receive hands-on mentoring and advising. Sallie Mae was also awarded the 2023 Corporate Partner Award from DSU, and we look forward to the positive impact this partnership and research will have on generations of students to come, at DSU and HBCUs nationwide.
$1 million
research endowment committed to Delaware State University to fund a three-year “persistence and completion pilot program.”
$690 thousand
in grants to advance and promote social justice, including $200,000 to support 2023 national HBCU week.
$1.2 million
in scholarships to help students from under-resourced and underrepresented communities access and complete higher education.
Top place to work
U.S. News and World Report has named Sallie Mae as one of the 2024-25 Best Companies to Work For based on how we support our people with a diverse, flexible work environment, opportunities for career advancement, and more.
Adoption-friendly workplace
For the third year in a row, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption named Sallie Mae as one of the 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces.
2023 “Quality of Life” Award winner
Our legal team was recognized with the 2023 “Quality of Life” Award by the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, representing Sallie Mae’s overall commitment to fostering a balanced, flexible, and diverse work environment.
Environmental, social,
and governance report
Learn how we support diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace and communities.