Counselor Notes: Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards

Hispanic High School Seniors: Apply for the Hispanic Heritage Youth
Awards Before March 14 Deadline

RESTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2008-March 14 is the deadline for Hispanic high
school seniors to submit their application for the Hispanic Heritage
Foundation*s (HHF) Youth Awards. Sallie Mae, the nation*s leading
saving- and paying-for-college company and a sponsor of the Youth
Awards, encourages Hispanic high school seniors to apply for HHF*s
Youth Awards, which honor academically successful young Latino leaders
at a regional and national level with educational grants ranging from
$1,000 to $8,000. HHF is a nonprofit organization that works to
identify, inspire, promote and prepare Latino role models through
national leadership, cultural, educational and workforce programs.

*HHF shares in Sallie Mae*s commitment to facilitate access to
higher education for Latinos,* said José Antonio Tijerino, president
and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. *Thanks to Sallie Mae*s
support, the Hispanic Heritage Youth Award Leadership Category will
position young leaders as role models to their peers - providing
inspiration and a vision to what can be accomplished.*

Applications may be competed online at
http://youthawards.hispanicheritage.org on or before March 14. The
Youth Awards are open to graduating high school seniors of
Hispanic/Latino descent (at least one parent) who maintain a minimum 3.0
GPA. Award categories include business, education (future teachers),
engineering and mathematics, journalism, and sports. In 2007, more than
$650,000 in Youth Awards were given to nearly 300 young leaders.

HHF*s Youth Awards are divided into 12 regions: Chicago, Dallas,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/Northeast region, Philadelphia/New
Jersey, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Northern California, and
Washington, D.C. Three recipients will be selected for each category
(Gold Medallion, at $3,000; Silver, at $2,000; and Bronze, at $1,000) in
each of the 12 regions. Gold Medallion recipients are also considered
for HHF*s National Youth Award, which includes an additional $5,000
educational grant, a laptop computer, and an expenses-paid trip to the
National Youth Awards ceremony, and to the Hispanic Heritage Awards in
Washington, D.C.

*We believe that everyone should have the chance to grow into a
dream,* said C.E. Andrews, president, Sallie Mae. *We are pleased to
partner with HHF and to create educational opportunities for Hispanic
students across the country.*

Sallie Mae*s sponsorship of HHF*s Youth Awards is part of its
commitment to helping students and families to follow a 1-2-3 approach
to paying for college:

1. Use Free Money First: Apply for scholarships and grants, such as
HHF*s Youth Awards, and use current income, savings, and Sallie
Mae*s TuitionPay interest-free monthly tuition payment plan.

2. Explore Federal Loans: Federal loans generally offer low fixed
interest rates and flexible repayment options.

3. Fill The Gap With Private Education Loans: Private loans are
convenient and designed to help students meet the total cost of
college.

***

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.

***
SOURCE Sallie Mae

If you have any questions feel free to email me-
Carolina Martín
VP of Hispanic Initiatives
California & Northwest
Sallie Mae, Inc.
carolina.martin@salliemae.com