In an effort to increase college access for underserved student populations, Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving- and paying-for-college company, has entered into a three-year partnership with EDU, Inc. to provide educational materials and scholarships to African-American young people.
EDU, Inc. administers the Common Black College Application, which allows students to fill out a single application to apply to 34 of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. To date, more than 60,000 students have used the Common Black College Application to apply for college.
Recent studies show that the access gap for African-Americans persists. According to Department of Education statistics, for people age 25 and over in March 2005, blacks were about half as likely as whites to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (17.7 percent, compared to 30.5 percent).
As part of the partnership, Sallie Mae has pledged to provide paying-for-college and scholarship information to students who use EDU, Inc.’s common application. In addition, through EDU, Inc.’s outreach, middle school and high school students and guidance counselors will receive access to the resources of CollegeAnswer.com, Sallie Mae’s online educational tool. CollegeAnswer.com offers the most comprehensive source of free, interactive college-planning tools—from preparing for entrance exams, to selecting a college, to paying for education.
The partnership will also help stem the tide of high school and college dropouts among a particularly at-risk population—black males. Sallie Mae will collaborate with EDU, Inc. and 11 NBA teams to reach African-American young men with information about preparing for and getting into college. As part of the “Getting African-American Males Educated” or “G.A.M.E.” Initiative, Sallie Mae will award a $500 college scholarship to one student participating in the special events at selected NBA games.
“The EDU, Inc. Common Black College Application helps to significantly increase the educational choices for students by allowing them to use one application to apply to several different colleges,” said Robert Mason, president, EDU, Inc. “It is imperative that students know their options when considering where to go to college and how to pay for it. Sallie Mae’s support of the EDU, Inc. application and our G.A.M.E. Initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to the students we serve.”
G.A.M.E. events will take place in 11 locations and give high school students the opportunity to meet and take photographs with NBA players, hear presentations from community leaders, identify mentors, complete EDU, Inc.’s Common Black College Application, and watch an NBA game. Participating NBA teams include the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Orlando Magic.
“Everyone should have the chance to grow into a dream, and with a higher education, you can,” said C.E. Andrews, president of Sallie Mae. “That’s why Sallie Mae is proud to partner with EDU, Inc. to increase college access for underserved student populations. The partnership complements our mission of making education accessible and affordable for all students at all times of their lives.”
The next G.A.M.E. event will take place at the Feb. 1 Washington Wizards game, held in Washington, D.C. For more information about EDU, Inc.’s Common Black College Application, the G.A.M.E. Initiative, or to view clips from the G.A.M.E. events held in Charlotte or Atlanta, go to: www.eduinconline.com/eduweb.
SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages nearly $164 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is the largest private source of college funding contributions in America with 8.5 million members and $400 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, 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