Giving Back

Funding Early Education

Reading Is Fundamental National Book Program participants Reading Is Fundamental National Book Program participants

To help break down an early barrier to higher education—poor academic preparation and achievement—The Sallie Mae Fund supports programs for students that foster improved academic performance. These are just some of the Fund-supported programs that help motivate young students to enroll and succeed in college:

  • Reading Is Fundamental
  • Junior Achievement

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

To support national book distributions hosted by RIF in communities where Sallie Mae's employees live and work, The Sallie Mae Fund provides grant money to RIF for book purchases and Sallie Mae employees volunteer at the events. RIF, the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit children's literacy organization, motivates children to read by making it a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.

RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age eight. Through a national grassroots network of community volunteers at 21,000 program sites, RIF provides 5 million children with 17 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information, visit www.rif.org.

Junior Achievement (JA)

The Sallie Mae Fund provides grants to Junior Achievement for Sallie Mae employees to be trained and participate in JA programs. Sallie Mae employees bring individual and collective expertise into the classroom to help K-12 students learn the value of higher education and prepare for their future in the business world. Four Sallie Mae communities participate in Junior Achievement programs nationwide.

JA is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics, and free enterprise. JA programs reach approximately 7 million students worldwide and are taught by volunteers in class and after school at locations throughout the United States and in 96 countries. JA is the successful bridge between education and the business sector. For more information, visit www.ja.org.