Sallie Mae Bank Awards $85,000 in Utah Scholarships

Sallie Mae Bank Awards $85,000 in Utah Scholarships

In Fifth Year of Program, Bank Supports 20 Aspiring Engineers, Nurses and Teachers

Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sallie Mae Bank, has awarded a total of $85,000 in scholarships, the largest amount in its five-year history. The 20 undergraduate recipients are enrolled in engineering, nursing or teaching programs at a higher education institution in six Utah counties.

Since the scholarship program began in 2006, the Sallie Mae Bank has awarded nearly $360,000 in scholarship assistance to students attending colleges in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties. Recipients were required to submit a one-page essay detailing their educational goals.

“I am so thankful for the education potential this assistance opens up for me,” said Franja Warburton, a nursing student at Weber State University from Layton, Utah.

This year’s scholarship recipients are:

Ashley Anderson					Brigham Young University
Olga Baykova					University of Utah
Diana Bonney					Brigham Young University
Yvette Bradshaw					Salt Lake Community College
Shannon Burr					Weber State University
Dustin Greer					Utah State University
Jack Hepworth					Western Governors University
Jesse Housekeeper					Utah State University
Kiley Liston					Weber State University
Laura Madrigal					Weber State University
Aaron Marsh					Brigham Young University
Layne Salmond					Brigham Young University
Jean Paul Santos					University of Utah
Brianna Smith					Brigham Young University
Caroline Stewart					Brigham Young University
Nathaniel Stoddard					Weber State University
Gregory Strong					Western Governors University
Jonathan Tayler					Weber State University
Franja Warburton					Weber State University
Christina Woodbury					Salt Lake Community College

“Sallie Mae Bank is proud of our local Utah students,” said Paul Thome, president of Sallie Mae Bank. “Our goal is to continue helping our students invest in their dreams of higher education. Through our suite of innovative college savings options, planning tools, and responsible student loans, we’re here to help students pursue their career and financial aspirations.”

The Sallie Mae Bank plays an integral role in Sallie Mae’s mission to help families save, plan and pay for college. Opened in 2005, the Sallie Mae Bank funds and originates private education loans to students nationwide. In 2010, Sallie Mae successfully launched its direct banking business, offering FDIC-insured online savings accounts and Certificates of Deposit through the bank. The Sallie Mae Bank was recognized on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s Best List 2010 as the best online savings account. The bank is headquartered in Murray, Utah, and is insured and regulated by the FDIC.

Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Serving 23 million customers, Sallie Mae offers innovative savings tools, tuition payment plans and education loans that promote responsible financial habits and reward success. Through its subsidiaries, the company manages or services $234 billion in education loans and administers $38 billion in 529 college savings plans. Members of its Upromise college savings rewards program have earned $625 million to help pay for college. Sallie Mae is also one of the leading financial service providers for universities and governments at all levels, including supporting $8 billion in ecommerce transactions annually at nearly 1,000 campuses. More information is available at www.SallieMae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, commonly known as Sallie Mae, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Sallie Mae
Patricia Nash Christel, 302-283-4076
Patricia.Christel@SallieMae.com