PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Aug. 6, 2009—Sallie Mae financial aid experts will answer questions about college financial aid at the Back to School Block Party, sponsored by the School District of Philadelphia and Radio One Philadelphia on Friday, Aug. 7. The nation’s leading saving, planning and paying for education company will conduct drawings throughout the event and five families will win $529 to jump start their college savings.
Sallie Mae will also offer live demos of its free college budgeting tool, show families how to research scholarships, and hand out college planning materials. The all-day free block party will provide students and their families with valuable information and in-person assistance to help them prepare for a successful back-to-school transition. The first day of school for Philadelphia public school students is Tuesday, Sept. 8. Radio One Philadelphia’s radio stations and a radio personality from the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show will broadcast live from the event.
Sallie Mae’s booth will highlight its Education Investment Planner, available at www.SallieMae.com/invest. The free tool can help aspiring college students and their families compare the costs of 5,500 colleges and universities and build a customized plan to pay for higher education. Sallie Mae will also provide information about 529 college savings plans and its free Upromise college savings program, which enables members to earn money back for college while making eligible purchases at hundreds of participating retailers. The winners of the five drawings will receive their $529 award in a Upromise account.
Families can also pick up free educational materials from The Sallie Mae Fund, such as the award-winning “Mission Possible” paying-for-college toolkit, available in both English and Spanish, and directories of scholarships geared for Latino and African-American students.
Sallie Mae recommends that families follow its “1-2-3 approach” to paying for college: first, tap “free money” such as grants and scholarships; second, fully explore federal loans; and third, if necessary, fill any gap with private student loans.
In addition to essential financial aid and school information, the Back to School Block Party will offer stage performances, fun activities, food, music, giveaways and prizes. The Block Party is free and will be held at the School District of Philadelphia’s Education Center, 440 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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.