Sallie Mae Bank Awards $85,000 in Utah Scholarships to Future Engineers, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists 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 to 23 undergraduates. The scholarship recipients are pursuing engineering, nursing, respiratory therapy or teaching programs at higher education institutions in six Utah counties.

“Since I could remember, I have always wanted to become a nurse and be able to heal, help, and promote the well-being of others. However, I had always worried that the financial burden associated with higher education would hinder my ability to fulfill this dream,” said scholarship recipient Amy Dalton. “Currently, I am preparing to enter my final year of nursing school and because of the assistance of programs such as the Sallie Mae Bank program, I can very realistically see my dreams coming true.”

Since the scholarship program began in 2006, Sallie Mae Bank has awarded nearly $535,000 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.

“Sallie Mae Bank is proud to assist our future engineers, nurses, respiratory therapists and teachers of Utah,” said Paul Thome, president of Sallie Mae Bank. “Higher education is a major achievement and critical to success in this economy. We applaud these students for their commitment to education.”

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 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’s Money Market Account has been recognized for three years in a row by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine as “the best place to stash cash.” The bank is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is insured and regulated by the FDIC.

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Celebrating 40 years of making a difference, Sallie Mae continues to turn education dreams into reality for American families, today serving 25 million customers. With products and services that include 529 college savings plans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search and planning tools, education loans, insurance, and online banking, Sallie Mae offers solutions that help families save, plan, and pay for college. Sallie Mae also provides financial services to hundreds of college campuses as well as to federal and state governments. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.