News

Students at a Paying for College Bus Tour stop, Reading PA

Application deadline fast approaching for Sallie Mae Fund scholarship

$1 million dedicated to meet students’ last dollar needs in 2004 Deadline is May 31

RESTON, Va., May 19, 2004—Time is running out for students interested in applying for $1 million in college scholarships made available through The Sallie Mae Fund’s Unmet Need Scholarship Program. The application deadline for students and their families is May 31. The scholarships are one component of Project Access—The Sallie Mae Fund’s program designed to target under-served, lower-income and minority populations, and increase their access to higher education.

The Unmet Need Scholarship Program aims to help financial aid officers meet the needs of full-time undergraduate students whose financial aid packages fall short by $1,000 or more. Open to families with a combined income of less than $30,000, Unmet Need scholarships provide a “last dollar” resource when no other funds are available.

To be eligible for the Unmet Need Scholarship Program, students must be accepted and enrolled at a Title IV eligible, accredited postsecondary two- or four-year college, university, vocational, or technical school in the United States or Puerto Rico, and meet program-specific eligibility requirements. Scholarship program eligibility criteria and applications for the 2005-2006 academic year are available at The Sallie Mae Fund’s Web site, www.thesalliemaefund.org.

In total, The Sallie Mae Fund will award more than $2.5 million in scholarships this year. This total includes other programs such as the American Dream Scholarship administered by the United Negro College Fund and the First in My Family Scholarship Program administered by the Hispanic College Fund. The Sallie Mae Fund also awards one $1,000 scholarship to a future college student at each of its nationwide “Paying for College” workshops. This year, The Fund will bring this free, informational workshop series to more than 135 communities. A listing of upcoming workshops can also be found on The Sallie Mae Fund’s Web site.

The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission—to increase access to a post–secondary education for America's students—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information visit www.salliemaefund.org.