Giving Back
Responding to Natural Disasters
Hurricane Katrina Relief
In September 2005, immediately following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and in the weeks and months that followed, Sallie Mae, The Sallie Mae Fund, and our employees helped residents, students, and universities get back on their feet. We responded with nearly $6 million in various Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Here is an overview:
- Sallie Mae disbursed nearly 5,000 emergency, interest-free loans totaling nearly $5 million to help displaced students.
- Sallie Mae allowed employees to give unused vacation time as cash donations to the American Red Cross, with The Sallie Mae Fund matching those contributions, to raise more than $92,000.
- The Sallie Mae Fund matched donations of $25 or more to the Red Cross made by members of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators to raise more than $182,000.
- The Sallie Mae Fund contributed $100,000 to Scholarship America's Disaster Relief Fund to help low-income students displaced by the hurricane.
- The Sallie Mae Fund matched employee donations to relief agencies 2 for 1, resulting in more than $460,000.
- Sallie Mae reached out to closed schools across the Gulf Coast region to provide telecommunications and Web resources, office space, and other in-kind services.
Wisconsin Tornado Relief
On August 18, 2005, a tornado destroyed 89 homes and caused $44 million worth of damage in Dane County, Wisconsin. The Sallie Mae Fund provided $15,000 in financial assistance to the Stoughton chapter of the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts. The funds allowed the chapter to immediately address the crucial needs of tornado victims.
