NEWTON, Mass., July 16, 2009—Upromise, Sallie Mae’s saving for college program, is providing parents and college students lessons on how to earn and save money for higher education this back-to-school season. On Upromise.com/backtoschool consumers can save money on school supplies, clothing and college dorm essentials when shopping online at more than 650 of their favorite retailers and earn money back for higher education. The site features online deals and coupons, tips and tools to help save and plan for college including advice from America’s Family Financial Expert Ellie Kay. By shopping Upromise partners, downloading the Upromise TurboSaver or using the Upromise credit card, members can increase their college savings far beyond the nearly $500 million earned to date.
“Upromise was founded with the mission of helping to make college affordable. Members have put away nearly half a billion dollars for college simply by shopping any of the more than 650 Upromise participating companies,” said David Rochon, president of Upromise. “Most families need supplies and other items such as backpacks, shoes or clothing to start off the new school year. Millions of smart consumers earn college contributions whenever they make everyday purchases and watch the savings add up.”
In addition to providing 1 to 25 percent back on eligible purchases, Upromise offers the following resources this back-to-school season:
- Shop—Upromise credit card holders can save money on all purchases and on average earn seven times more than members who don't. Also, by downloading TurboSaver, members will be reminded of college savings opportunities when shopping online.
- Learn—Upromise has partnered with America’s Family Financial Expert Ellie Kay. As a mother of seven children, three of whom are currently attending college loan-free, Ellie provides tips on ways to save for and reduce college costs. A host of college planning resources, such as a college savings and budgeting tool and information on investment options, can also be found on the site.
- Share—Families and students facing the challenge of saving and paying for college can connect with like-minded members by joining Upromise’s Community, finding Upromise on Facebook and following Upromise on Twitter.
- Win—Beginning July 26, 10 new or current members will win $10,000 in the second annual Upromise College Dream Sweepstakes. By downloading the helpful TurboSaver tool, families will automatically be entered into the contest.
For additional information on using this back-to-school season to jumpstart a college savings strategy, visit upromise.com/backtoschool.
For more information contact:
Debby Hohler (617) 454-6741 (Sallie Mae Upromise)
Bethany Ciampa (617) 226-9950 (Sallie Mae Upromise)
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.
About Upromise by Sallie Mae
Launched in April 2001, today Upromise by Sallie Mae is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America, with over 10 million members and nearly $500 million in member rewards. Membership is free and can help families save money for college while making everyday purchases of products and services at more than 21,000 grocery and drug stores, 10,000 gas stations, 8,500 restaurants, as well as hundreds of retail store locations, and over 650 online shopping sites. Upromise participating companies include Bank of America, ExxonMobil Corporation, Bed Bath & Beyond®, McDonald’s®, JCPenney.com, LandsEnd.com, Sears.com and hundreds of others. Upromise also makes it easy for families to start their own college savings strategy through tax-advantaged 529 college savings plans offered through Upromise Investments, Inc. or by using Upromise contributions to help pay down eligible student loans. For additional information, visit upromise.com.